


The Single Ladies Roadtrip

by Nidawi



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, Everyone's alive, F/F, F/M, Girl's Weekend, Girls Rule Boys Drool, Vegas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-04-15 03:30:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 29,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4591329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nidawi/pseuds/Nidawi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What do you do when you need to be two places at once? Well, you get a little help from social media! Oliver Queen and the Arrow Gang are headed for Australia to handle The Four Horseman*. Unfortunately the gossip rags are making some pretty interesting discoveries about how similar Oliver Queen and that good looking vigilante guy are. Thea hatches a plan, the girls somehow end up in Vegas on Oliver's dime, and a social media war of Girls vs. Guys ensues. It's all for cover, and not because Thea got that rocking dress and needs a place to wear it. Really. This will be as fluffy as possible with only mild angst for Oliver/the boys because sometimes they deserve it.</p><p>AU within the Arrow Universe. Shado, Slade and Tommy are alive. Slade's a GOOD guy, because no "man pain." Possible spoilers up through S2.</p><p>*aka the bad guys I made up who will only be referenced and not fleshed out</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Plan

“No,” Felicity said with a decisive shake of her head. She gestured around the lair, indicating the tech, the weapons and the half of the Arrow crew gathered around the computer bank. “No way Oliver. If you go in there now there’s no way you’re keeping this whole ‘secret identity’ thing an actual secret.” 

“She’s right,” Digg admitted grudgingly as he squinted at the screen. “Oliver Queen just takes off to parts unknown for the time it takes to travel there and a masked vigilante ends up half way around the world? It’s never going to work.”

“So Shado goes,” Oliver said. He stood back, glaring at the gathered group, his arms crossed over his chest in the stance Sara liked to refer to as the “Ollie pout” and Felicity thought of as his “I will die on this mountain of a mole hill” look.

“Shado can’t go,” Slade snapped back. “Because Shado hurt her leg thanks to someone’s last stupid plan.”

“Hey!” Shado said. She took a hobbling step forward which probably didn’t help Slade’s current mood. “I twisted my ankle on a loose tile. That has nothing to do with Oliver’s plan. Even if it was stupid.”

“It wasn’t stupid,” Oliver said.

“It wasn’t much of a plan either,” Digg said.

The room descended into chaos as everyone raised their voice to explain just why this idea was both ridiculous, impossible, and still somehow had to get done.

“Hey!” Felicity yelled as Slade thumped a fist down on her desk and the computers bounced.

Oliver grabbed his wrist yanking him away from Felicity’s babies. Slade moved forward a little too eagerly, brewing for a fight. The movement sent Oliver stumbling back two steps before he caught his footing and threw his weight back into Slade. Shado jumped forward, grabbing at Slade’s arm. Digg stepped in between the two men, his hands trying to pry them apart.

“Don’t make me use this,” Sara said, lifting a Canary Cry above her head.

“Not near the computers,” Felicity protested, even as she took several quick steps out of the way.

The door banged open and Thea and Roy came thundering down the steps, Laurel and Tommy on their heels. Roy threw himself into the mess, shoving Slade back, pushing Oliver into Digg.

Shado jumped in front of Slade before he could wade back in and Roy kept one hand pressed to Oliver’s chest.

“What is going on here?” Laurel said, her heels cracking down hard and threatening on the floor. Tommy slunk in, angling quickly to slip around the room and into the relative safe zone near Felicity which usually translated into “we are soft, and squishy non-superheroes, please don’t kill us.”

“Men,” Nyssa said, her voice dripping with derision. She sat perched on the upper level, glaring down on them like a particularly unimpressed gargoyle. “They are all posturing at each other.”

“He has a foolish plan that’s going to get us all outed,” Slade said.

“Then find something better,” Oliver said. He shook Digg off, stepping back from Roy.

“Tell me what we need,” Laurel said.

Slade and Oliver both stepped toward the computers, warily eyeing each other. “Not you two,” Laurel said. “You two stay on your sides of the room.” She turned to Felicity. “You tell me.”

Felicity sighed and stepped back up to the computers, pulling up the file as Laurel moved in closer. “The Four Horseman are in Australia. We think they’re going after the ultimate venom for their usual nefarious reasons. We need to get in, control and remove the source and get out.”

“Easy enough,” Laurel said with a shrug.

“Right,” Felicity said. “But.” She clicked on another screen.

An image leapt up of a magazine cover. Oliver stood staring off into the distance, just a sliver of Felicity visible. The other half of the cover was Green Arrow, similarly posed. Their strong chins were a perfect match.

“Is Oliver Queen the Masked Vigilante of Starling City?” the headline shouted. Around the image's edge a smaller picture proclaimed that actress A’s secret baby bump was showing and another warned of an incoming divorce for two of television’s favorite actors.

“That’s a national gossip magazine,” Laurel said. “How in the world did they decide Starling City was a story worth blasting all over their cover?”

“The article spend a lot of time talking about how pretty Oliver is,” Felicity said.

“Pretty?” Oliver said.

“Quiet Pretty Boy,” Slade said.

“Alright,” Laurel said. “So Oliver doesn’t go to Australia.”

“We need an archer to deliver the injections to exorcise the Four Horseman out of their latest victims,” Felicity said.

“So Roy does it.”

“Busted arm,” Roy said. “Not even the mirakuru can come back online that fast after a Four Horseman infection.”

“Plus he promised he was going to be good and stay safe,” Thea said, her tone ominous.

Roy ducked his head and studied his boots rather than reply.

“So, Oliver goes and gets back fast while the rest of the group stays and works,” Laurel said.

“Exactly,” Oliver said.

“No,” Slade said. “I’d rather walk right up to the bastards and jam ‘em with the antidote myself.”

“I can do it,” Oliver said. “The jet-”

“You need to be somewhere else completely when the archer takes the shot,” Slade said. “It’s not just you here.”

“My risk,” Oliver said. “My—“

“Shado,” Slade said, his voice sharp. “Felicity, Thea, Tommy, if you won’t think of Shado. Everyone is tied up real tight to you. They start looking at you they start thinking about who you hang out with. Asian woman just as good with a bow as you and she showed up five months after Shado and I came to town?” Slade shook his head. “I’ll tie you up and dump you in the river to be found before I let that happen.”

Oliver opened his mouth to protest but Laurel put her hands up. “Okay, so no Oliver,” she said.

“We need an archer,” Felicity said. “Digg’s getting better, but we’re supposed to have this covered with Roy and Shado.”

“Girl’s weekend,” Thea said.

The entire room turned to look at her. She shrugged. “The media wants something to look at. They’re never happier than when there’s a train wreck.”

Oliver snorted.

“Last week there was an entire opinion article about how Oliver was obviously cheating on me with Laurel,” Felicity said.

Tommy laughed “The article this week would like you to know that you and I are finding solace in each other’s arms.”

“Good to know,” Felicity said.

“Exactly,” Thea said. “They go trailing after every interesting story, so we give them something interesting.”

“Something more interesting than Oliver being a masked vigilante?” Felicity said.

“We’re going to need booze, intrigue, skimpy clothing and more booze.”

“No,” Oliver said.

“I’m listening,” Tommy said.

“Oliver and Felicity are going to break up, loudly and in public,” Thea said.

“No,” Oliver said. “Absolutely not.”

“Why?” Felicity said.

“The answer is no,” Oliver said.

“Because,” Thea said. “Those gossip rags love nothing more than love going down in flames. We’re gonna make it big, flashy, and impossible to look away from.”

“I don’t understand how that’s going to help,” Slade said.

“Because,” Thea said and she began to smile a slow, devious smile. “We’re going to go Vegas and flash our underwear at every camera that comes our way.”

“Vegas?” Felicity said, her voice pained.

“I’m not flashing my underwear at any one,” Laurel said.

“For a good cause I’ll do all sorts of things,” Sara said.

“Please don’t,” Nyssa said. Sara flashed her a grin and gave a shrug.

“And what are the rest of us doing?” Oliver said.

“I’m so glad you asked,” Thea said. “Your boys are going to take you up into the mountains for some male bonding and some boo-hooing and licking of wounds. You won’t have much internet or contact up there and it will be understandable if you’re not taking selfies of your crying, miserable self. So, if you vanish off to Australia while the tabloids all drool over your heart ache, who’s going to notice?”

“Does it have to be Vegas?” Felicity said.

“We don’t really need to break up for that,” Oliver said. “Maybe just stage a small fight.”

“Full break up,” Thea said. “Hissy fit fight in a restaurant.”

“But—“ Oliver said.

“Show of hands,” Thea said. “Who agrees? Girls to Vegas. Boys to Australia.”

Every hand but Oliver’s went up. He gave Felicity a wounded look.

“It’s fake,” she protested.

“Fine,” he said. He raised his hand. “But I’m doing this under duress.”

Thea rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m going to be saying ‘I told you so’ by the end of all this.”


	2. The Break Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breaking up is hard to do. Even when it's fake.

Oliver trailed after Felicity up the stairs, his hands tucked into his pockets and his brow furrowed with concern. She didn’t even give him a backwards glance, her head bent over her tablet as she worked out flight plans and scheduling.

“So,” she said. “Break up tomorrow. Loud, crazy, lots of drama. I’m thinking in the street outside Fabrege’s. They always have paparazzi. Mountains the next day. Take a bunch of pictures, make it look good. Broody. You’re good at that. Do lots of that thing where you look like a puppy who is watching other puppies get all the toys you want.”

“That thing? Puppies?” Oliver said. “What?”

She looked back at him. “That thing. You’re doing it right now. Just keep doing it.”

She swung back around, her heels tapping quickly across the empty club floor. “Then off to Australia. Tommy will keep posting stuff to social media. All ‘bros before hoes’ only not that, because then I may actually break up with you.”

He winced but she didn’t notice.

“And then you come back. We fake make up. Everything is better and everyone forgets they ever thought you were some masked guy.”

“Felicity,” he said. 

“Bring me back a souvenir. I’ve never been to Australia. Nothing alive though. It’s all venomous. Also, we need to stock you guys up on antivenin, in addition to the antidote. It would suck to die by snake when you’re supposed to be facing off with Famine, or whichever one it is this time.”

“Felicity!” Oliver caught her arm, pulling her around and dragging her into his chest. “Can we talk about this?”

She paused, confused, then wrapped her arms around him. “Talk about what?”

“This break up thing?”

She leaned back so that she could peer up at him. “Oliver, are you freaking out over a fake break up?”

“No,” he said.

“Liar.” 

She pulled away and started across the club again. “Don’t get me anything kangaroo related either. They squik me out. What do they even keep in those pouches? I mean, besides babies.”

“I just worry,” Oliver said, as he started after her again, “that you’re going to miss me, and the fake break up thing is going to make it harder.”

She stopped in the middle of the dance floor. He saw her head tilt to the side, considering, then she swiveled on her heels. “I’ll miss you?”

He walked to her, pulling her back into his arms. “We haven’t been apart pretty much since we started dating.”

“Uh huh,” she said. 

“So, I know it’ll be hard on you, and I think a fake break up will just make it harder.” 

She stepped back out of his arms. “Harder on me?”

“Yes.”

“Oliver, you realize that I actually climb into my bed alone at night while you go out patrolling and I fall asleep. Do you remember what happened the last time the girls and I stayed out late and you beat me to bed?”

“I stayed up waiting for you, because I’m a good boyfriend.”

“You were pacing when I got home.”

“Starling City is dangerous.”

Felicity crossed her arms. “You’re a masked vigilante, you’ve taken street crime down to practically zero with your crew of armed thugs.”

“Thugs?”

“Fine, properly trained and restrained potential sociopaths.”

Slade wandered past. “Some of us might be psychopaths,” he said.

“I can’t keep them straight,” Felicity admitted.

“Felicity,” Oliver said. “Please. This is silly.”

“Digging a hole to China,” Slade called. “And I really don’t want to go back there.”

“Let’s just go out and get something to eat,” Felicity said. “You’re always clingy when you’re hungry.” She turned and marched for the door.

“Clingy?” Oliver said.

“She’s right,” Slade said. He was behind the bar mixing himself a troublingly tall glass of alcohol. “Go finish digging that hole to China. Can’t wait to see how this one pans out for you.”

Oliver bit back half a dozen responses and followed after Felicity, maybe a little more downtrodden than usual, but really he was fine. Just fine.

\---------------

“This place is a little fancy, Oliver,” Felicity said as she sat.

He helped push her chair in before sitting himself. “Well, I just thought before we all ship out we could have a nice night out.”

“Plus the rest of the Scooby Gang is allergic to actual silver ware and fancy place settings so they won’t follow us down here.”

He smiled at her, reaching to grab her hand. “That too.”

The waiter arrived. He filled their water glasses before straightening to smile at them. “Mr. Queen. Ms. Smoak. Can I show you the wine list?”

“She’ll have the house red,” Oliver said.

“She will not,” Felicity said.

Oliver turned to stare at her. She ignored him to smile up at the waiter. “I’ll just stick with the water.”

“Very good miss. And sir?”

Oliver shook himself, breaking away from staring. “I guess I’ll stay with the water too.”

The waiter left and Felicity pulled her hand away from Oliver to lift her water and sip at it. Oliver leaned closer. “Is there something you wanted to tell me?”

Felicity narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not pregnant, if that’s what you’re asking, and I’d be real careful with that line of questioning.”

“You always get the wine.”

“Not tonight. Tell me again about how I’ll miss you.”

He sat back, reaching up agitatedly to tug at his tie. “Well, we really haven’t been apart.”

“Mm-hmm,” Felicity said.

“And I know how you worry.”

“You have an alarming rate of injuries.”

“True.”

“Some might say I have the same in this line of work.”

He winced. “Does it have to be Vegas? I mean, there’s drugs, gambling, gangs.”

“I’ll feel right at home. You know, since I’m from there and survived years without you. Plus my mom’s away on that cruise, so that’s probably the number one risk to my health and sanity in that town gone.”

She took another sip of water, raising one questioning eyebrow. “Explain to me again how I can’t make it on my own. I’m dying to know.”

He rubbed at his face, his gaze darting around the restaurant before settling on her. “I just think, since we’re already going to be on separate continents, we don’t need to stage the break up. Just have a fun girls’ weekend out and we’ll have a boys’ weekend in the mountains.”

“Boring,” Felicity said.

He blinked in confusion. “What?”

“Boring, the tabloids won’t care enough about that, and they’re sort of the entire point.”

He paused, considering. “Alright, but—“

Felicity sighed, cutting him off. “No. Clearly this is going to have to be like ripping a band-aid off. Or, for a simile you’d understand, like ripping an arrow out.”

“What?” He cocked his head, even more confused.

“I’m breaking up with you, early, to end the torture.”

A panicked look darted across his face. “Torture?”

“Torture. It’s always worse waiting, you know? Like the moment right before you step out of a plane.”

“You hate heights,” he protested. “You very specifically said every foot you fall is the new worst foot.”

“Whatever. You’re welcome for getting water. Also the wine is welcome, because this way I’m not wasting it. I love their house wine.”

Before he could utter another pitiful “what,” Felicity stood, hefted the glass of water and splashed it into his face. 

“We’re done, Oliver,” she said, loudly. "Leave me alone. I don't ever want to talk to you again." She leaned back down to him so that she could whisper. "Stay at Tommy's tonight. Just in case the press catches a hold of this before tomorrow. I'll pack you a bag. Love you."

Oliver made a pitiful, stunned sound. Heads were turned toward them. Voices hushed and then rose again in a nervous wave. 

Felicity snatched up her purse, chin held high as she stomped out of the restaurant.

The waiter sidled nervously over. “Is sir alright?”

“What?” he said to the empty air where Felicity had been sitting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who got some editing done? This girl! Guess who wrote even more of this senseless drabble as personal payment? This girl!
> 
> So question: if you and your girlfriends broke up with your boy toys and took a little trip to Vegas what would be on your Single Ladies Roadtrip(/Planetrip because you travel in style) Playlist?


	3. The Bet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twenty-four hour count down to Vegas begins. Everyone's handling this with grace. Really. Ignore all the drinks being thrown. It's fine.

Their morning coffee spot was packed. Laurel loitered outside, trading a steady stream of texts with Thea and Felicity. She barely glanced up from her phone when Tommy arrived. 

“Hey,” she said.

He grinned. “Grab a seat. I’ll get breakfast.” She nodded absently, moving to hover over a table an older couple were vacating.

She sat down just as Tommy made it back to the table. He dropped down into the seat across from her, depositing the coffees before digging threw the brown paper bag for their breakfast. “One plain bagel, with strawberry cream cheese.” He unwrapped the bagel and placed it in front of Laurel. “And one cinnamon raisin swirl bagel with honey pecan, strawberry and blueberry cream cheese.” He opened it and gave a Vanna White style hand flourish over it.

Laurel looked up from her phone long enough to stare dubiously at Tommy’s breakfast. “How old are you?”

He grinned at her. “Breakfast of champions.” He leaned over to press a quick kiss to her mouth, then grabbed his bagel and took a big bite out of it.

“How’s Ollie?” Laurel said, bending back over her phone.

“What?” Tommy said around his bagel.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Laurel said, her eyes still fixed on her phone. “How’s Ollie? Did he pout at your place all night?”

Tommy took another bite. “Why would he be at my place? He’s probably standing three feet from Felicity pretending it’s completely accidental.”

Laurel looked up from her phone with a frown. “Felicity broke up with Ollie last night,” she said.

Tommy choked on the bite of bagel. Laurel reached to pat his back as he doubled over with a coughing fit.

“They what?” Tommy finally manage to rasp out.

Laurel passed over his coffee and he took a gulp of it.

“Felicity dumped Ollie last night,” she said.

“Are you kidding?” he said.

Laurel leaned toward him. “You’re overplaying this a bit,” she whispered. “No one’s listening to us.”

“That’s not what I mean,” he said. “I thought we had another day of partial pouting before you all stuffed me into the mountains with his broodfest.”

“Felicity just told me she told him to go to your house to sleep. I thought you knew something was up.”

“He didn’t come to my house,” Tommy said.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Then they both leaned back in their seats with a groan.

“Do you think he spent the whole night on her fire escape?” Laurel said.

“Oh, definitely,” Tommy said. “That boy’s got it bad.”

Laurel sighed. “Poor Ollie.”

“Thank God we’re not like that,” Tommy said. He took another bite from his bagel.

“You’re a little like that,” Laurel said, putting her phone aside to grab her own bagel and take a bite. 

Tommy snorted. “Am not.”

“You ran across the Glade with an earthquake coming to try to rescue me.”

“And you’re welcome. For the record Ollie shoots people for Felicity. He’s going to pine all over the place. Me, I’m good. You on the other hand.” He gave her a wink. “Try not to spend the entire time in Vegas missing me.”

Laurel paused in taking a bite from her bagel. “Me?”

“Yup.”

“You know Ollie said something similar to Felicity last night and he got dumped,” Laurel said.

Tommy hid his laugh behind his bagel. “You know it’s normal for the girls to be worried about their guys.”

Laurel narrowed her eyes in a glare.

Tommy raised the hand not holding the bagel in a show of surrender. “And the guys will miss their girls, too.”

“Of course,” Laurel said very slowly.

Tommy bent back over his bagel and Laurel started back on hers. Her phone kept up a steady beeping and she went back to trading texts back and forth. She looked up when her   
bagel was nearly gone to find Tommy smiling at her again.

“What?” she said.

“You’re all worried,” he said.

“I have like three cases I have to pass off, an afternoon jury case that makes me feel like my heads about to explode, and you’re best friend is sulking around the city because his girlfriend dumped him. He has a disturbing amount of weaponry. Yes. I’m worried.”

“It’s okay,” Tommy said. “I understand.”

“Great,” she said. “Go corral Oliver off Felicity’s roof so we can get this show on the road.”

She bent back over her phone. Tommy reached out and grabbed her hand, covering the phone. “It’s okay,” he said. 

She stared down at his hand for a moment before lifting her eyes to meet his gaze. 

“I understand,” he said. “I’ll miss you too.”

He leaned forward to kiss her forehead, then grabbed her trash and carried it off to the trash can. She stared after him for a moment, jaw slack with surprise. Then she snapped   
out a quick text before sliding her phone back into her purse. Tommy dropped back into the seat across from her as she lifted her purse onto her shoulder. “You ready," he said, "or do you want to bask in my presence a little longer?” 

“Just out of curiosity,” Laurel said. “Do you think I’m going to be pining after you in Vegas?”

"Pining is such a strong word. The good news for you is that when you text me we’ll at least be on the same continent, in the same time zone. We’ll talk every night.”

“Uh-huh,” Laurel said.

The smile slid of Tommy’s face. “I have a feeling I need to back track somewhere.”

“Oh no, it’s fine,” Laurel said. She stood, a sickening sweet smile on her face. 

“I’ll miss you too,” he said, scrambling to his feet.

“But I’ll miss you more, right?”

Tommy shrugged. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, you know, you girls are going off to play, and the boys are going to war.”

Her eyes narrowed sharply. “You’re sitting in a cabin with Roy while Ollie, Slade, and John go after the Four Horseman. You’re going to have way more time to miss us. I’ll be too busy beating guys back from Felicity so that Ollie doesn’t come back and start putting arrows into people.” 

He threw his hands up. “I would just like to say that you are an amazing woman and it is normal to miss your significant other and not enjoy Vegas as much without them and wow I want to stop talking now.”

Laurel stepped closer to him, lowering her voice. “You want a bet Merlyn?”

“Well, I’m still working on getting the billions back my dad’s homicidal rage-fest cost the company, so sure. I could use an easy buck.”

“Oh. We’re not betting money. We’re betting honor. I bet you boys come crawling to Vegas looking for us long before we go up to that mountain to see you.”

“First, we’re not boys. We’re men.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And what does ‘betting honor’ even mean?”

“Winner gets to decide.”

“Um,” Tommy said. “Can I get a time out here? Because I’ve seen you decide things. You’re a lawyer. Your mind gives me nightmares. In the most romantic way possible, of course.”

“Chicken?” Laurel said.

“This has really escalated. And I just want to take the time to point out that you are wonderful, successful and beautiful. One day when we have children I will be proud to be the stay at home dad supporting you’re amazing career.”

“Bet or no bet?” Laurel said.

He hesitated. “Just so you know I fully support you.”

“Man up, Merlyn,” Laurel said.

“But you are so on. The lights of Vegas don’t compare at all to us ruggedly handsome dudes out in the wilderness.”

Laurel snorted. “Do me a favor after I pour my drink on you, go google ‘Thunder From Down Under.’ We’ll be doing just fine in the ‘shirtless’ category.”

“Drink?” Tommy said.

“It’s iced coffee,” Laurel said, “so no burns.”

“This is a very expensive suit.”

Laurel smiled sweetly at him. “This is why you should always be nice to your dry cleaner. You really brought this on yourself.”

“I don’t know—“

Laurel upended her coffee on his head.

He sputtered as the icy slush ran down the back of his neck.

“You and Oliver can just go live the bachelor dream together,” Laurel shouted.

She slammed her coffee cup down on the table, and strode out. 

“You go girl!” someone in the back shouted and a round of applause started as freezing cold coffee somehow slithered down into one of Tommy Merlyn’s shoes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who wrote 2500 words of original fiction last night? Guess who got to write fan fiction as a reward? (Hint: you should guess: me.)
> 
> So, 2 boys down. Not looking good for them. 
> 
> As always, possible spoilers up through Season 2. I haven't seen Season 3, please don't spoil it for me. These chapters are edited just enough so that my inner editor isn't screaming in agony. Apologies, but this is as good as it gets. Thanks for reading!


	4. Things are not looking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The packing has begun, along with some unpacking of heavy, unsaid words. Apologies because this chapter starts out a little heavier than the rest. I promise the fluff is coming back by next chapter! 
> 
> Sara is ready to relive some sorority days. Nyssa is less enthused. The paparazzi is getting involved. Thea is that cruise director friend of yours. The one with the laminated activity cards. Everyone else is just running around throwing their drinks on people. She'd like them to stop that. Right now.

“Vegas!” Sara shouted as she belly flopped onto the bed. Piles of clothes toppled around her.

Nyssa moved more carefully into the room, eyeing the overflowing bed warily. “Where did all this come from?”

Sara rolled over onto her back and lifted a stretchy, very small piece of fabric above her head to admire it. “College. I had a lot of fun in college.” She smiled dreamily. “A lot of fun.”

“And you helped your sister’s boyfriend cheat on her,” Nyssa said.

Sara threw the dress at her. “Gee, thanks for that.” 

Nyssa batted the dress out of the air, then stepped back as Sara rolled off the bed, springing to her feet. 

“Alright, I have a bunch of dresses that should fit you,” Sara said. She threw another dress, less stretchy and more dress-like in appearance. “Try that one.”

Nyssa caught it and held it up, eyeing it dubiously. It was a very bloody shade of red. That was the only redeeming quality Nyssa could find for it.

“Why am I trying on your clothes?”

“Because as much as I love the black leather and linen look you have going that is not proper Vegas attire.”

“Vegas?”

Sara stopped rooting through the piles of clothes to look over her shoulder at Nyssa. One eyebrow quirked up in question. “Vegas? That place with the lights, gambling, and questionable decisions? That place we’re going to?”

“Oh,” Nyssa said.

Sara turned around, hands planted on her hips. “Oh? What does oh mean?”

Nyssa shrugged, an odd look coming from an assassin. “I simply thought I would go to Australia.”

Sara frowned. “Why would you go to Australia?”

“I am needed there.”

Sara’s eyes narrowed. “No.”

Nyssa stood taller, shoulders back, eyes glinting.

“It is a matter of—“

“It’s a matter of ‘your girlfriends says hell no.’ You almost died last time.”

“I made a mistake.”

“You tried to stab War.”

“A mistake,” Nyssa said, her voice sharp. “I have learned from it. It will not happen again.”

Sara groaned. “I love you, but honey, when you go out to kill it’s not some distant, cold, economic issue of a quick death. You’re a personal ‘screw you’ to whoever has to die. You are in their face, blood on your teeth with a blade in hand.” 

“I am very good at what I do,” Nyssa said.

Sara crossed the room to stand in front of Nyssa, reaching up to cradle her girlfriend’s face in her hands. Nyssa pressed into her touch. Sara grinned and leaned in for a quick kiss.

“The best,” Sara said as she leaned back. “In a sword fight you would literally slaughter Ollie. Archery? Fifty meters? One hundred and fifty? Three hundred plus? Yup. You’re my girl. I need to go farther than that, I have to go find some crazy guy or girl in a green hood, with sometimes an attempted sub in by that brooding kid in the red hood.”

“But not me?” Nyssa said.

“You're not getting within one thousand meters of War.”

Nyssa glared, bristling. “It was a mistake I will not repeat.”

“So don’t repeat it. Go to Vegas with me.”

“You think it will happen again,” Nyssa said.

“Not if you don’t go to Australia.”

“This is only Pestilence,” Nyssa said.

“Maybe.”

“You don’t trust me,” Nyssa said. “You think I will see War and become drunk once more with a murderous rage.”

Sara sighed. “Nyssa you are the strongest person I know, but not even you could stand against those compulsions and that scares the crap out of me.”

“Perhaps,” Nyssa said, “I should go to Australia. Regardless of my poor archery skills.”

“And do what? Wait like a war bride to be sure that War isn't there?”

“I have many uses,” Nyssa snapped. She wrenched back away from Sara’s hands. “The Horseman create armies. They disperse, they spread. Even I might be useful there. But now, I see. As you have pointed out, I would be of little use in Australia. I wonder that I could be of more use in Vegas.” Nyssa stepped back, executed a picture perfect bow, and then turned and walked from the room. 

Sara stood in stunned silence. The slamming of the front door was very final. 

_______

Laurel flopped down onto Felicity’s couch. “So then I poured my coffee on him.”

Felicity dropped onto the other end of the couch. “Did I start a trend? I’m kind of regretting throwing the water on Oliver now.”

“I thought it was a great touch. Although now I’m out of coffee.”

Felicity bounced back to her feet. “I can fix that.”

Laurel stood and trailed after her. The tiny breakfast nook in the kitchen was spilling over with dresses, shoes, and jewelry.

“You are taking this packing thing really seriously,” Laurel said.

“Well, I’m celebrating dumping my boyfriend, right?” Felicity said. She poured out the old coffee grounds and added fresh. “So, what do you do when you dump a loser?”

“Dress up and remind him what he’s missing out on.”

“Exactly.”

Laurel held up a dress glistening with rhinestones. 

Felicity glanced at the dress, then turned back to the coffee maker with a shrug. “I’m from Vegas.”

“Our local-girl-tour-guide,” Laurel said. She put the dress back. “Think this whole charade will work?”

“Not so far,” Felicity said. She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her fuzzy, flannel pajama bottoms. “’Felicity Smoak dumps gorgeous bad boy Oliver Queen in a wild scene,’” she read. “That’s from The Daily Gossip.”

“That’s a good start,” Laurel said.

“Yup. That one’s not bad. Then there’s ‘Whispers’, whose main headline is ‘Smoak dumps Queen. Did the double identities become too much?’”

“Nobody reads Whispers.”

Felicity turned the phone around so that Laurel could read the hit count. 

“Oh,” Laurel said. “That’s not good.”

Felicity flipped the phone around to tap at the screen. She turned it back to Laurel again. “The ‘Cincinnati Star’ says I dumped him under mysterious circumstances. The comments section is full of people guessing what those mysterious circumstances are. Last time I checked it was a fifty-fifty split between some really weird kinks and his secret identity interfering with our love life.”

“That’s not good,” Laurel said.

“Nope,” Felicity said, popping the ‘p’ off her lips. “But at least we’ll be in Vegas soon. Where I’ll be pretending to hate the guy I’m madly in love with.”

“Well,” Laurel said. “The good news is I’ll be doing it with you.”

Felicity’s phone rang. “Ooh, it’s Thea.” She passed the phone to Laurel. “Answer that.” She turned back to the apparently highly technical process of starting the coffee maker. Laurel was pretty sure it doubled as a police scanner, super computer, and possibly an early stage AI based on the number of buttons alone.

Laurel connected the call, switching it to speaker before setting it on the table.

“What did you do!” Thea said.

“Who?” Felicity said. 

“Both of you! I know Laurel’s there because she’s not at work. The paparazzi is waiting outside the CNRI office, still watching the street.”

“Paparazzi?” Laurel said.

“Paparazzi! They have their little cameras and recorders out, just waiting for you.”

“Just because I broke up with Tommy?”

“You broke up with the son of a mad man, who just happens to be best friends with the guy they think is the Arrow.”

“Uh oh,” Laurel said.

“What?” Felicity said. 

“They think I broke up with Tommy for the same reason you broke up with Ollie.”

“We sort of did.”

“Yeah, but the reason they think has to do with all the action.”

“Action? I'm assuming you don't mean they think we have a foursome and you and I are running off together?” Felicity said.

Laurel stared at her. “No,” she said very slowly. “No such luck.”

“I’m not convinced that blond comes from a bottle,” Thea said.

“I told Oliver that in confidence.”

“Tough,” Thea said. “You realize I have to dump Roy now, right?”

Laurel sighed. “Not necessarily.”

“Yes, necessarily. No one thinks Roy is a vigilante.”

“Really?” Laurel said.

“He’s polite when he puts on the hood,” Felicity said. “They don’t recognize him.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Laurel said.

“Right,” Thea said. “Laurel you need to go to work and give vague answers or something. Felicity, just stay home. You suck at lying.”

“I’m getting better,” she said.

“You are not,” Thea and Laurel said in almost perfect unison.

“Felicity, post some sad song lyrics on your facebook page and maybe complain about men on twitter,” Thea said. 

“I can do that.”

“Why do I have to think of everything,” Thea muttered.

“Hey!” Felicity said. “I just went through a traumatic break up. I’ve been up all night. I get a ‘get out of jail free’ card. Which do not exist in Vegas, just as an FYI.”

“Good to know,” Laurel said. She patted Felicity on the head. Felicity glared and very meaningfully poured the first cup of coffee for herself. Laurel snagged the second. “Back on the topic of Roy. Are you going to give him any warning?”

“Nope, but I’m going to try to avoid pouring a drink on his head, so that’s an improvement.”

“Don’t break the streak on our account,” Laurel said.

“You’re supposed to be on your way to work. Seriously I do everything around here.”

“Bye!” Laurel said. She tapped the phone off. “Alright, I’m leaving. You do song lyrics. I’m going to go be in a bad mood and mutter about men.”

“Oh wait.” Felicity spun back to rustle through the cabinets. She came up with a travel mug and poured Laurel a new, full cup of coffee. “Sugar?”

“I think I’ll drink it black today.”

“Very film noir.”

“And I’m in a hurry to go deal with my personal paparazzi.”

“Right,” Felicity passed the coffee over. “Have a good day. Or a bad day. Whichever works.”

Laurel waved good bye over her shoulder and slipped out the door.

Felicity moved to lock the door behind Laurel before going back to pour another cup of coffee. She slid the window open, popped the screen out, and set the mug on the windowsill. 

“Oliver,” Felicity said, “you can’t hang out outside my apartment all day.”

She walked away, bare feet almost silent on the floor.

A hand appeared, the cup vanished. When it was set back down it was empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone pointed out that Nyssa really could replace Oliver on this trip. I considered ignoring this glaringly (now) obvious piece of information. Then I realized that Nyssa and Sara were going to be sitting in the back seat with no angst in what is supposed to be a fluffy fanfic. I couldn't let that happen. I have lots of thoughts on the Four Horseman. Lots of mental head canon. Little pieces will pop up where it suits me. This is one of those places. Nyssa learned the hard way: do not stab War. It feeds off of violence. It infects violence with more violence like a murderous wing up top, then sets its new toy loose to go home. Sara would rather not ever again battle her girlfriend as the personification of War.


	5. Boy Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're falling left and right.

_Soft Kitty @megaluna3569 8:47am OMG!! just saw tommy merlyn get dumped!!!! funniest thing eva!!!!_

__

_Gina Torres @NotTheRealGinaTorres 8:56am Heard Tommy Merlyn n Oliver Queen r back on the market. Wearin a short skirt today! #ivegotachance #whowantstobeamillionaire_

__

_The Whispers @TheWhispersGossip 9:05am It looks like Tommy Merlyn, son of Malcolm Merlyn is having a rough day. Click for pics! bitlink.ly.com #yousawitherefirst_

__

_The Daily Gossip @TheDailyGossipColumn 9:32am Hearts are breaking all over Sterling City. Keep your eyes here as we bring you all the dirt. #SmoakQueen #LanzMerlyn_

__

_Megan J @MyMiddleNameIsBeach 9:47am Just saw the news. I’m not even surprised. Merlyn and Queen are grade A jerks. #NoScrubs #CheatingBastards_

__

 

________

 

Shado sat perched on the medical table, her bare foot braced on Slade’s thigh as he carefully applied a support wrap for her ankle. Neither one looked up when Oliver slunk in. 

“How was dinner?” Shado said.

Oliver grunted.

“I always like their dessert,” Shado said.

“Paper said they didn’t even make it to appetizers,” Slade said.

Oliver glared, but Slade was still bent over Shado’s leg, not even glancing in his direction. 

“Since when do you read the gossip section?” Oliver said.

“Since you make the front page. Best piece of journalism I’ve ever seen.”

Shado swatted him on the bicep. “Be nice. Oliver are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said, “why wouldn’t I be?”

“Three times,” Tommy said as he stomped into the Foundry. It would have been more effective if one of his shoes didn’t squelch with every step. “I got pulled over three times on my way over.”

Slade let Shado’s foot slip away and she carefully slid down off of the table, testing the ankle. “Perfect,” she said. Slade grinned before schooling his face back into a bored expression as he turned back to Tommy.

“Don’t speed,” Slade said. “You actually have to pay your speeding tickets with daddy out of the picture.”

Shado swatted him again, harder this time. “What is wrong with you? Behave. Tommy were you speeding?”

Tommy dropped down into Felicity’s usual seat with a tired sigh. “Apparently half the city tweeted when Laurel threw her drink on me.” He rubbed at his face. “The SCPD isn’t pleased with me. The last cop didn’t even pretend I was speeding. He just lectured me on how to properly respect women. It was very detailed.”

Oliver wandered past Tommy, then paused. “Why do you smell like coffee?”

“That’s the drink Laurel dumped on me.”

“Are you getting it on Felicity’s seat?” He grabbed Tommy’s arm, hauling him out of the five hundred dollar chair with its perfectly set height, do not alter upon penalty of a single digit credit score.

“I changed,” Tommy protested. “I just didn’t have extra socks in my gym bag.”

Oliver eyed him suspiciously but let him lower himself back into the seat.

“Why did she dump her drink on you?” Shado said.

“I might have talked a big game about who would miss who on this trip. Laurel didn’t like that. .”

“You are an idiot,” Slade said. 

Tommy gestured between Shado and Slade. Shado shook her head. “No, I’m not hitting him for that one,” she said. “He’s right.”

Slade smiled. It wasn’t a particularly nice smile. “Think of me as the little voice in your head. The one that arrives just in time to tell you you’re an idiot.”

Before Tommy could respond the door flew open and Digg came through, half doubled over with laughter. “Oh man,” he said, dabbing at tears of mith. “I don’t know which is better. Tommy with the coffee or Roy and Thea.”

“What?” Oliver said.

“There are pictures?” Tommy said.

Slade crossed his arms with a widening grin. “You’re all idiots.”

“Alright, alright,” Shado said. “Let me see.”

“Oh this has got to be big screen,” Digg said.

He pushed Tommy’s rolling chair out of the way and settled in front of the computers.

“If you mess that up, Felicity will hang you out to dry,” Oliver said.

Digg gave him an unimpressed look over his shoulder before pulling the computer out of its rest state.

With a single google search Digg pulled up Tommy’s picture. Shado made a high pitched noise and stifled it behind her hands. Slade didn’t even try to hold it back. His laugh was big and booming as he staggered back against the medical table, one hand pressed into his side. 

In the image an obvious brown stain dripped over Tommy’s shoulders and down his suit jacket. A few drizzles ran down his face, which was slack jawed in shock as the blur that was clearly Laurel moved out of the left hand corner of the image. A single dollop of cream sat on top of his head, still swirled with chocolate sauce.

Tommy groaned and hung his head. Oliver clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s okay Tommy. Digg can we set that as the computer background?”

“I hate all of you,” Tommy muttered.

“Don’t worry,” Digg said. “It’s only one picture. Roy wasn’t so lucky.”

He pulled up another search and a twitter link popped up. Digg clicked to open the video into full screen.

The Whole Foods parking lot blurred and then snapped into focus.

Thea’s car sat in front of the store, blocking both lanes of traffic. Thea herself leaned over the car, one hand planted on the hood so that she could use the other to jab a finger at Roy standing on the other side of the car. Roy’s hands were thrown up, his expression exasperated and confused. 

A car honked and Roy turned to flip it off. Thea kept yelling. The words weren’t audible but the tone was. It wasn’t good.

“She’s really letting him have it,” the off screen camera holder said.

Roy said something and Thea reared back, expression indignant. She leaned forward to bang her fist on the hood to punctuate her next words. Roy threw himself across the hood, hands spread, trying to stop her from denting the hood. 

“Oh, don’t pick the car over listening to the girl,” Tommy muttered.

“Shut up,” Slade said. “You don’t have room to talk.”

Clearly Tommy was right. Thea threw back her hair, swiveled on her heels and stomped to the passenger side door. She slammed it shut behind her while a stressed Roy ran his hands through his hair. The car lurched forward suddenly.

Slade burst out laughing. “She climbed across.”

“Oh Thea,” Oliver said.

The car revved and then shot forward twenty feet. A shocked Roy stared after it before it clicked that he was being left in the grocery store parking lot. He bolted after the car and Thea loudly ground the gears, kicking the car forward again.

All four men in the Foundry groaned. 

“She’s just doing that to be mean,” Digg said.

“Poor car,” Tommy said.

“And that’s why you’re single,” Shado said.

“I’m single,” Tommy said, with his chin held high, “because I have my pride.”

“And a girlfriend going to Vegas where every man will think she’s looking for a rebound.”

“I hate my life sometimes,” Tommy muttered.

So did Roy. He was running after the car while the image bounced with the laughter of the person holding the camera. The car screeched to a halt just short of the stop sign leading out of the parking lot. The tires left a smear of black rubber on the road. Roy ran up to the driver’s side window, bending down to it. He was hidden behind the car for a moment, then he staggered back, blinking wildly.

The five in the Foundry leaned closer to the screen.

“She didn’t,” Tommy said.

“C’mon Thea,” Slade said. “Do it for us.”

“Oh Thea,” Oliver said.

The car peeled out of the lot. A dripping Roy stood open mouthed and shocked. The video takers were howling with laughter, the image bouncing around. Roy’s head snapped around to glare at them.

“What are you looking at!” he yelled.

A final cry of “shit!” was heard, right before the video went black.

Slade sagged against the table, panting with laughter. Shado leaned against him, laughing just as hard. 

Tommy put his head into his hands. “We’re all doomed,” he muttered.

Oliver patted him on the back, then turned to Digg. “Just tell me Roy didn’t actually hurt anyone,” he said.

“Checked the police scanners. Nothing.”

“Oh thanks for that,” Roy said, as he came down the steps, foot falls heavy. “Next time you could go pick me up instead of just checking for warrants.”

“You needed time to think about what you did,” Slade said, trying to control the last of his chortles.

“I asked her if she got chips!” Roy said. He flopped down on the ground, pulling off his dripping t-shirt and throwing it aside.

“I’m not picking that up,” Oliver said.

“Okay mom,” Roy muttered.

“Mom?” Oliver said.

“See,” Slade said. “This is why I like him. At least he’s funny.”

“You like him because he’s a puppy version of you,” Shado said.

“Hey!” Roy said.

“Fair enough,” Slade said.

Shado’s phone digged and she leaned back and picked it up. “The girls have wine and movies. Looks like I’m needed for some twitter fun.”

“Are you going to throw your drink on Slade before you go?” Tommy said, lifting his head from his hands. “You need to keep up the trend. It’s his turn for a dump and a thrown drink.”

Oliver kicked Tommy’s chair. Slade’s hand closed just short of Tommy’s throat as the chair carried him careening backwards. Tommy gave a yip and scrambled out of the chair as if flopped over backwards. He ducked behind Digg. 

Digg pushed away from Tommy. “Nuh-uh. Take your punishment like a grown up.”

Shado caught Slade’s arm, yanking him up short. “No one else is getting dumped,” she said. She tugged Slade back a step so that she could lean up and kiss him. “Be good. Don’t murder anyone.”

“You take the fun out of everything,” he said.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, how terrible of me. Don’t wait up.”

She tugged her boots on and made her way gingerly up the stairs, still favoring her leg. 

Tommy peered warily at Slade when Shado shut the door firmly behind her. “So you’re not going to kill me?”

Slade didn’t answer. Instead he stalked toward the back of the Foundry and lifted his blade from its stand, considering its edge. Then he sat, pulled out a file and set to work sharpening the blade.

“Great talking to you,” Tommy said.

“Sleep with one eye open,” Digg muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did actually a/ check that none of those twitter addresses were real (as of this posting!) and b/ make sure those tweets were under 140 characters because yes, that is who I am.
> 
> The final weak link has been broken. Now there's drinking to be done.


	6. The Single Ladies Party Starts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to start the party. Someone more responsible should really be pouring the drinks here.

Shado rapped on Felicity’s door with the hand not gripping the crutch. 

“Coming!” Laurel called. 

When the door swung open a glass of wine was thrust at Shado. She grabbed it before it could slosh out and Laurel beckoned her in. 

“You’re behind,” Laurel said. “If you want to catch up we have shots.”

“Behind?” Shado said. She set the crutch against the hall in the entrance way and limped after Laurel.

Felicity was laying out on the couch, one arm flung over her eyes as she giggled uncontrollably. The coffee table was covered with a collection of both open and closed wine bottles. Several half full or empty glasses sat on the table and a collection of margarita glasses with cactuses for handles sat empty and waiting. 

Thea was behind the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. “So then,” she said. “He starts explaining to the police officer that it’s important for his health that he empty his bladder whenever necessary and it’s not his fault the officer was standing there.”

“Oh God,” Felicity groaned. “I am dating an idiot.”

“In his defense,” Thea said, “he’s only really been arrested for vigilante related incidents since he got back from the island.” She started the blender and it roared to life, drowning out any further conversation.

Laurel settled on the love seat and Shado limped over to the couch, batting at Felicity’s feet until Felicity rolled to sit up. Felicity blinked groggily at Shado, then grinned. “Shado’s here!” she said when the blender shut off. She threw herself at Shado, dragging her into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

Shado patted carefully at Felicity’s back. “Okay.”

“She started drinking earlier than the rest of us,” Thea said.

She walked into the living room, dropped a hand towel on the coffee table and set the blender down on it. The green drink in the blender smelled tart and sweet all at once.

“One wine,” Felicity said. “That’s all I had before you got here.”

Shado carefully pushed Felicity off of her and back into a sitting position.

“I may have fed her a shot,” Laurel said. "She also won't admit what counts as 'one wine.'"

“Plus she’s a light weight,” Thea said.

“This is true,” Felicity said. She reached up to straighten her glasses and beamed at Shado. “I’m so glad you’re going to Vegas. We’re going to have so much fun.”

Shado frowned. “Am I going to Vegas?”

Felicity blinked owlishly at her and started listing to the side. Thea pushed her upright and settled on her other side. 

“Of course,” Felicity said.

“Oh,” Shado said. She shrugged. “I just figured Vegas was a distraction and just you guys would go. I mean, nobody notices me.”

“Do you not want to go?” Felicity said and there was a dangerous wobble to her voice.

Shado glanced around for support. Thea and Laurel stared silently back.

“I mean, do I need to go? I thought I’d help the guys.”

Sara came stomping out of Felicity’s bedroom, in boxer shorts and a loose, stretched out tank top. A slinky silver dress hung from her hand. “Why does everyone want to stay with the boys? Why can’t we just have a nice, loud, drunken vacation in Vegas?”

“Nyssa doesn’t want to go to Vegas either,” Laurel said.

“They had a fight,” Felicity said.

Sara shook the dress wrathfully at the group of them and stomped back into the bedroom.

“Let’s talk about something else,” Thea said. “Felicity what have you been tweeting?”

“Oh!” Felicity leaned forward, grabbing for her phone sitting on the coffee table. She almost slid off the couch and Shado had to drag her back on. Thea took the phone and handed it to Felicity. It took Felicity two tries to get through her security screen, then she triumphantly handed the phone to Thea.

“’Boys,’” Thea read, “’are stupid.’ Did you write this before the wine?”

“Yup,” Felicity said.

Thea blew out a sigh. “Alright. We’re gonna fix this right now. Laurel get over here.”

Laurel threw herself down next to Thea. Thea reached over, grabbed Shado’s arm and hauled her into Felicity, forcing them both closer. She held the phone up. “Everybody look happy that they dumped their boyfriend.”

“I didn’t dump my boyfriend,” Shado said.

“Probably the only reason Starling City is still standing,” Laurel said.

“Just smile already!” Thea said. She snapped the picture, checked it and frowned. “Okay. Take two.”

Five takes later everyone’s eyes were open and Thea decided they looked suitably attractive and happy for the internet to bear witness to their celebratory bash.

Sara came striding out of Felicity’s bedroom in a black and red dress and struck a pose. “This one?”

“Nope,” Felicity said.

Sara frowned, looking down at herself. “Why?”

“Cause you look better in it than me. Not allowed.”

Laurel nodded sagely. “Girl code.”

“Girl code?” Sara said.

Thea was still bent over Felicity’s phone. “Yeah,” she said. “You know. Never outdo someone in their own outfit, never sleep with their boyfriend. That sort of thing.” Then she froze.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sara said.

“Nothing,” Thea said, hastily putting the phone away. “Who wants margarita?”

Sara narrowed her eyes but picked up one of the margarita glasses and let Thea fill it for her.

Shado held her wine up. “Not even one drink down.”

“Mine,” Felicity said, snatching up a margarita glass. Thea filled it and Felicity turned and tapped it against Shado’s wine glass, hard enough that the four soberer women in the room winced. Both glasses survived and Felicity took a large swallow of her drink. 

Laurel pried herself out from between Thea and Felicity. “I’m going to order pizza. Felicity’s going to need something to absorb all this alcohol.”

Felicity smacked her lips happily. “I love margaritas. You can barely taste the alcohol.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Laurel said.

Forty-five minutes later they took a picture with the pizza delivery guy, who swore they were bona fide internet celebs. He wanted to know exactly what drinks they dumped on their boyfriends. Somehow in the telling Felicity’s drink of choice was upped from water to a five hundred dollar glass of wine. Thea chortled happily over that, especially when twitter exploded with the new information.

Two hours later the picture of their new manicures had eight hundred and thirty-four likes. Three hours later the internet was recommending them the best break up songs for a road trip. Four hours later Nyssa stalked into the apartment, through two security systems and a locked door. Of course both security systems went off.

Nyssa stood in the middle of the living room glaring at them, while Felicity stared at the alarm systems, trying to remember the proper codes to shut them off. Thea ran interference over the phone with Oliver while Laurel explained, very cheerfully to the nice people at the alarm company that everything was fine. Sara watched the entire scene from the doorway of Felicity’s room, pretending she didn’t care that her girlfriend had arrived.

When both alarms were cheerfully glowing a steady green again they all turned to stare at Nyssa. She shrugged, her back resolutely turned to Sara. “I was told this was the girls’ party.”

“By who?” Sara said.

“’The boys.’”

“Are they drinking too?” Felicity said. She sat down on the edge of the couch and slid promptly off to land on her butt on the carpet. She considered this new predicament, shrugged and took a swig from the water bottle Laurel had decided was in order. 

“They are planning,” Nyssa said.

“Then shouldn’t you be there?” Sara said. 

Nyssa cast her a dark look over her shoulder. “I was told my girlfriend would be wearing a short skirt in Vegas.” She turned back to consider the rest of the women. “And also, you might have been right.”

“I was right?” Felicity said.

“Sara,” Nyssa said. “Sara was right.” She stared straight ahead, refusing to look back at Sara.

Sara uncrossed her arms and stalked across the room. She put a hand on Nyssa’s shoulder, turning the other woman to face her. “I was right?”

Nyssa glared but gave a short, abrupt nod. 

“And you’re coming to Vegas?”

“You need a bodyguard,” Nyssa said.

Thea snorted.

“Hey,” Shado said, her voice resigned and amused.

“Hardly,” Laurel said.

“Yes,” Felicity said. “So many bodyguards. Yes, please.”

“So you’re coming to Vegas,” Sara pressed.

Nyssa gave another affirmative jerk of her head. “I am coming to Vegas.”

Sara threw her arms up in victory. “Yes!” She jerked Nyssa into a hug. “We are going to have so much fun, and lose so much money, and dance so much.”

Nyssa let out a long suffering sigh. “I am going to regret this.”

“You haven’t see how short her skirts are yet,” Thea said.

Laurel poured Nyssa a margarita and passed it to her. “She’s been modeling.”

Thea pulled her phone back out. “Okay, before we start drinking again. Picture time!”

Felicity groaned. Shado bent protectively over the watery margarita she’d managed to nurse over several hours.

“Don’t be babies,” Thea said. “Last pic before we get truly trashed.”

________________

 

Don Jameson @GoreEmBulls 9:30pm Just delivered pizza to THE #StarlingCityCuties! Reminded me to say @MarshaMarshaMarsha I love you! (Please don’t dump a drink on me)

Jamie Morgan @BeastMaster953112 @GoreEmBulls 9:37pm @MarshaMarshaMarsha you call somebuddy else a cuty is gonna get you more than a dirnk!!

Felicity Smoak @FelicityMIT3 12:32am For the record @TheAQueen makes the best margaritas. Also I really like pandas. #drinking #noonetellmymother #pandas

Thea Queen @TheAQueen 12:49am Vegas or Tropical Island!! Tweet me followers! #singlelife #bringontheritas 

Thea Queen @TheAQueen 2:39am here I am adoring followers. last one standing. #pathetic #makinganotherrita #VegasBound 

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 2:58am For the record I am the real last one standing. instagram.com/pics/sleep

Starling City Times @StarlingCityTimes 6:05am Starling City is reeling with the news. Is it true? Are the local social scene’s favorite couples done for good? #StarlingCityCuties

The Whispers @TheWhispersGossip 8:04am Felicity Smoak, Thea Queen and Laurel Lance celebrate. The ex-men in their lives are suspiciously quiet. #yousawitherefirst bitlink.y.com/34

The Daily Gossip @TheDailyGossipColumn 8:06am It’s true! #SmoakQueen #LanzMerlyn #TheaThatGuy are splitsville! #StarlingCityCuties trending now!

Thea Queen @TheAQueen 10:07am it may not be pretty but we are packed #VegasBound Shout out to @FlyNewAir for finding us some sweet seats to Vegas. #bloodymarys #VIPseats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In celebration of editing +3K of sad/dark original fiction I have fanficced!
> 
> Thea Queen is 21 in this particular AU. #1 because rules! #2 because going to Vegas to celebrate a break up is really only possible if you're over 21 and can get into the sorts of bad choices only allowed when you've hit that magic birthday. (Remember, Drink Responsibly!)
> 
> Also, I did check all these twitter addresses before posting and as of the date of this posting they don't exist. Well except one, but it became such a head canon for me that I couldn't let it go and the owner has tweeted exactly 0 times. Basically don't tweet at anyone with a similar twitter address. I promise they aren't associated with this story. That's the best I can do! All the links are fake as well, so don't go looking.


	7. Bon Voyage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last good byes and then they're off! This chapter serves even less purpose than any of the others but September is kicking my butt and just heaping bad news upon me so I am writing even more pointless fluff before I tackle actual progress in the story. Also I wrote 6K of necromancer darkness this weekend so I really need a few K of fluff.

“Why in the heck were they drinking margaritas?” Tommy said, peering down at his phone. “And wine. Very expensive wine.”

Oliver and Slade circled each other, ignoring Tommy for at least the tenth time that morning. He was trying to dissect the nightly activities of all their respective girlfriends and clearly not finding enough clues. Slade lunged and Oliver jabbed hard. Slade slid easily out of reach, eyes watchful.

“Felicity likes wine and margaritas,” Oliver said, for lack of anything better to do. Slade wasn’t interested in fighting, he was simply giving Oliver something to do and that frustrated Oliver to no end. Slade was enjoying every moment of it without breaking a sweat while Oliver parried and struck without landing a blow. Oliver slid in another sharp hit and Slade melted out of the way. Oliver muttered darkly under his breath.

“Slow this morning,” Slade said. “Shouldn’t be sleeping on fire escapes.”

“Technically he slept at my place,” Tommy said. “And I made sure he stayed there.”

“Cuddles?” Slade said. Oliver lashed out, forcing Slade back a step. “I bet you two were adorable,” Slade continued.

Oliver struck out again and this time Slade had to bring up his own stick and knock Oliver’s aside.

“We did not cuddle,” Tommy said. “Although I’ll have you know I was voted ‘cutest’ out of our high school class.”

“Because I was in detention the last two weeks of school,” Oliver said, “and couldn’t be nominated.”

“You keep telling yourself that,” Tommy said. “I don’t get the manicure picture. Why do women post pictures of their manicures?”

“Because we can,” Felicity said as she came slowly down the steps. “Please stop whacking each other with sticks my head is already ringing.”

Slade lifted his hands, palms out, the stick held loosely. Oliver took a careful step back and Slade showed him what counted as his innocent smile. Oliver took the opportunity and back out of the training circle to set his training stick down. He walked quickly to Felicity, his hands going up to cradle her face. 

“What happened?” he said.

She groaned. “Tequila and wine. So much tequila and wine.”

Tommy was fully focused on them. When Slade set his training stick down beside Tommy he jumped hard, making the chair squeak and slide. Tommy turned on Slade. “I get it. You are terrifying. Like a hyena.”

Shado slipped down the steps. “Hyenas are matriarchal,” she said.

“I stand by my comment,” Tommy said.

She playfully ruffled his hair as she passed, stopping to lean up on tip toe so that Slade could drop a kiss on her lips. 

“We stopped by for weapons, tech support and a pep talk before we flee to Vegas,” she said. “In that order.”

“And possibly some magical Chinese herbal stuff that keeps you from dying and hopefully cures hangovers?” Felicity said.

“It’s not meant for that,” Slade said.

“It works,” Shado said. “We’ve tested it.”

Tommy grinned. “I knew you two could party.” 

“We were overdosed on drugs by bad guys and it increased our intoxication level and therefore resulted in a hangover,” Shado said. 

“Of course you don’t have a fun story,” Tommy said. He stood. “I’m going to go up and say bye to Laurel.”

“She’s not here,” Shado said. 

Tommy froze, then carefully lowered himself into the seat again. “I guess she didn’t need to help with weapons or tech support,” he said.

Slade snorted. Shado gently pushed him aside so that she could start rifling through the debris that apparently collected when you left Slade, Oliver, and Tommy alone in any space without intervention for more than five hours. She lifted the flask with the herbal tea and shook it at Felicity.

Felicity pushed her way past Oliver, forcing him to drop his hands. “Thank goodness,” she said. “Come to mama.” Shado grabbed a clean mug and poured Felicity a helping.

“Don’t worry, Tommy,” Shado said. “She’ll miss you first, remember?”

Slade grinned. “Ouch.”

Felicity chugged back the tea, then passed the emptied mug to Shado who poured herself a heaping serving and swallowed it down. “Alright,” she said. She set the mug and flask down and clapped her hands. “Slade, Oliver get us some weapons that can be hidden in skimpy clothing. Felicity is going to get your tech up and running and we’ll be good to go.”

____________________  
Sara passed another dress to Nyssa and then two more. Nyssa considered them, then crammed them into the already full to bursting suitcase. Sara handed her another that looked like an exact match to at least two others that were already in the bag. Small, black, and vaguely leather like. Nyssa considered them, then tossed them at the dresser. They landed on top, skidded across the slick surface and fell behind it. Sara handed her another dress without looking and Nyssa sent that one the same way she had the previous.

“You know I’m going to make you dig those out and pack them anyway, right?” Sara said without turning around.

Nyssa sighed. “This was meant to only be a few days. How many dresses will you need?”

“Always be ready for wardrobe changes,” Sara said. “Plus, some of these are for you.”

“No,” Nyssa said.

Sara turned back to her girlfriend, holding up yet another black, leather like dress. It was far too thin and stretchy to be leather and therefore absolutely useless in a fight. That was all Nyssa could say for it.

“Do you like it?” Sara said. 

“You can’t fight in that.”

“No, I can’t.”

“It looks like your battle gear but it is much smaller.”

“Much smaller,” Sara agreed.

Nyssa frowned. “Why are you showing me this?”

Sara sighed and dropped the dress in the bag. “Has it ever occurred to you that we’ve never really had a vacation?”

“We have been to Vegas,” Nyssa said.

“No, we stalked someone through Vegas, killed them and returned back where we’d come from.”

“And now we are going to Vegas again, with no one to kill.”

“Which I know you find boring, but Nyssa I’m going to be wearing a lot of skimpy dresses. Can you at least pretend I’m attractive?”

“You’re very beautiful,” Nyssa said.

“Exactly. And there’s going to be more of me on display than usual. I’ll be beating men off.” She paused, cocking her head and pretending to stare pensively off into some middle distance. “Unless you want to do it for me.”

“Wear skimpy clothes for you?” Nyssa said.

Sara startled, dropping her innocent act to stare at her girlfriend. “Um. I meant beat men away, but also yes to skimpy outfits. Yes to all the skimpy outfits.”

Nyssa shook her head. “You are very silly. We see each other naked all the time. But alright.”

Nyssa walked to the dresser and knelt to pull the dresses out. Once her back was turned Sara gave a victorious fist pump.

“I saw that,” Nyssa said.

“And I am fine with that. Because skimpy outfits and chasing away annoying dudes.”

_________________________  
Thea paced around the room, the phone cradled between her shoulder and her ear. “Thank you,” she said. “We’re really looking forward to flying New Air as well! I’m sure all our twitter followers will be so excited to see the pics we post of the V.I.P. lounge. Yup! We’ll see you soon.”

She hung up the call and tossed the phone at the bed where Laurel Lance reclined, watching her. 

“Isn’t it funny,” Laurel said, “how people are always happy to give away free stuff to rich people who don’t need free stuff?”

“Trickle-down economics,” Thea said. “Enjoy it. We’re getting a whole first class section to ourselves.”

“Poor Tommy,” Laurel said. “No wonder he can’t cope with normal life.”

“You could see him,” Thea said, as she zippered her suitcase closed. It required her to sit on top of it and the zipper strained and barely held.

“Are you seeing Roy?” Laurel asked. 

Thea shrugged. “We texted. We’re not attached at the hip like you two are.”

Laurel frowned. “Yes you are. You’re always together.”

“Also I let him in through Felicity’s fire escape early this morning and we said our good byes.”

Laurel sat up. “You did not. You were asleep before I was.”

Thea grinned, bouncing off her suit case and turning her attention instead to her carry-on luggage. “That’s what you think,” she said. “You might have had a cop for a dad but I had a security force. I can go from fake sleep to rolling out a second floor window almost as fast as Oliver in his Arrow get up.”

“Good to know,” Laurel said.

“But you’re still not going to see Tommy?” Thea said.

Laurel shrugged. “He started it.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Thea said. “But I’m so glad you aren’t dating my brother. My brother would be so busy trying to out-stubborn you I’d have to strangle him.”

Laurel snorted. “And Felicity isn’t stubborn.”

“Felicity just turns on her heel and flounces out and he goes after her like a kicked puppy.”

“Operant conditioning,” Laurel said. She blew out a sigh. “I tried but failed.”

The two women stared at each other for a moment and then burst into giggles.

“For the record,” Laurel said, “Tommy is far more trainable.”

Thea grinned. “Duh. Frat boy vs. island-born vigilante. Low hanging fruit there Laurel.”

“I give Tommy a week at best,” Laurel said.

Thea snorted. “Please. Slade and Oliver will be back on this continent in five days. He’ll show up in Vegas with them. He’ll blame it on them but we know better.”

“Guess we better use our five days wisely,” Laurel said.

___________________________________  
“Please don’t make me do this alone,” John said to his wife.

She ignored him in favor of spooning a questionable looking scoop of green stuff to their daughter. 

“Lyla,” he said. “I’m about to be trapped alone in a foreign land with two dangerous men who miss their girlfriends.”

“And as soon as they realize all that stands between them and their girlfriends is those bad guys you’ll be out of there in no time,” Lyla said, her voice a sing song tone that made their daughter smile and kick her chubby legs.

“The moaning and whining,” John said.

“Sort of like what I’m dealing with right now,” Lyla said. “Besides Felicity and Thea already invited me to Vegas.”

He stared at his wife as she nonchalantly shoveled another spoonful into their daughter’s mouth. “Are you going?” he said.

“John, honey, if I don’t want to listen to the male half of your master assassins whine what makes you think I want to be around their pining other halves?”

“So I suffer alone,” he said.

“Builds character,” his wife assured him. “Also, suck it up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said, useless chapter but if I write it I'm posting it, un-betaed as always. Next stop: Vegas!


	8. The Trip Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls are officially in Vegas. The boys are officially doing just fine. Really. Everything's fine. No, Tommy doesn't want to talk about it.

Felicity sagged against the registration desk, her bag drooping from her hand. Shado leaned beside her, slightly more upright but her gaze sweeping over the room was decidedly more sedate than usual. Nyssa and Sara sat at the fountain, Sara’s four bags and Nyssa’s one carry on arrayed around them. The bellhop was looking very uncertain. Each time he tried to pick up one of Sara’s bags Nyssa glared and muttered something sounding sharply threatening. The bellhop would retreat at which point Nyssa would go back to filing her nails. Sara looked oblivious to it, other than the snicker she gave when the bellhop flinched.

As the front desk clerk went through the process of swiping Thea’s black Visa (you are paying me back Oliver, or else!) Thea turned to Laurel. “Go deal with your sister and her girlfriend,” she hissed.

Laurel and Thea were managing to look put together in an unthreatening way, resulting in them standing front and center stage as the slightly harried front desk clerk tried to get their room keys together. Nyssa’s initial approach had been to demand their rooms immediately, as she could no longer stand the stench of humanity in her nose. That response had not surprisingly failed and Sara had quickly herded her girlfriend away.

“They’re safe enough there,” Laurel said. 

Thea turned her head, dropping her chin so that her short hair fell across her face and hid her from the front desk. “If Nyssa and Sara shoot and mount the bellhop on their hotel room wall as their first celebration of Vegas I will be pissed,” she hissed at Laurel.

Felicity groaned and half lay across her little area of counter space. “I just want to go to bed,” she said.

Thea brought her fist down hard on the countertop. “No!”

The woman waiting on them froze in the process of sliding the keys across the counter. The man working the next computer looked up as well, eyes wide. 

“We are in Vegas,” Thea said, wagging a finger at Felicity. “We are here to have a good time. We are here to celebrate our boyfriendless existence. We are here to have fun.”

“After a nap,” Shado said.

“Seconded,” Sara said, leaning over Laurel’s shoulder.

“I would kill for a nap,” Nyssa said, coming up to stand behind Sara.

The relieved bellhop was rapidly loading their bags on to the luggage rack.

“Fine.” Thea snatched the room keys up. “We nap. But then – we party.”  
_________________

Slade and Oliver lifted the canoe onto the top of the SUV, then started on the process of roping it down. 

“Pfft,” Tommy said.

Slade sighed a long, worn thin sigh.

“Pfft,” Tommy said again.

“Just spit it out already,” Oliver said as he yanked a rope tight.

“The girls are in Vegas.”

“We know,” Slade said. “Oliver was tracking their flight the whole way.”

Roy dropped his small, worn bag next to the vehicle. “Like you weren’t peering over his shoulder.”

Slade stopped in tying the canoe to turn and give Roy a dark look. Roy shrugged in response. After a moment Slade shrugged as well and then went back to tying the canoe down.

“How come he doesn’t get threatened like I do?” Tommy said.

“He’s proven himself in the field,” Slade said. “You have not.”

“I could—“

“No,” Oliver said. “Don’t even wander down that path.”

“I could—“

“No,” Digg said, arriving out of the side exit of Verdant, bag thrown over his shoulder. Lyla followed behind holding a second bag.

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

Digg dropped his bag and took the bag from Lyla. “I don’t need to know. Guessed the right answer first time didn’t I?”

“Alright boys,” Lyla said. “Settle down. I didn’t come here to see bloodshed.”

Digg shook the bag. “Toys.”

“Please don’t shake that,” Lyla said.

Oliver finished tying off the back of the canoe, and walked around to peer into the bag as Digg cracked it open. He let out a low whistle. Roy, Slade, and Tommy came closer to look.

“That is not going in the vehicle with us,” Tommy said.

“It’s safe,” Lyla said.

“You just told Digg not to shake it.”

“Safe-ish.”

Tommy shook his head and backed away. “No, I am not riding with that.”

“Good,” Slade said. “We’ll strap you to the roof.”

Tommy squawked in protest.

“On that note,” Lyla said, “I’ll leave you to it.” She leaned up to kiss Digg. “Don’t get possessed by a Horseman. I’ll make you sleep on the couch.”

“Yeah, that’ll definitely be what keeps me out of trouble.”  
________________________

The music pumped and pounded a steady beat around them. Thea had vanished twice to go dancing before bounding back to grab sips of the drink Felicity and Shado were guarding for her. Nyssa and Sara had gone off to go dancing on their own. The boys were very interested in them. They were very much not interested in the boys. Laurel had started with them and then decided they were having a very monogamous conversation that didn’t need a big sister involved. She had wandered off, bailing on Felicity and Shado who clung to their table.

“I think we’re supposed to dance,” Shado said.

Felicity took another gulp of her very pretty, very sweet, very alcoholic drink. “I am not nearly drunk enough.”

“How drunk do you need to be?” 

Felicity took another even bigger gulp. “I’ll let you know.”

Thea arrived back at the table, a drink in each hand. She set them down. “Okay, new game. Who can get the most free drinks from random guys? I’m winning.”

Three more drinks clunked down on the table. Nyssa stood over them, chin raised imperiously.

“Technically,” Sara said as she slid onto a chair. “Nyssa is winning.”

Thea narrowed her eyes speculatively. “Alright, early lead to Nyssa.” 

Laurel arrived and frowned at the sight of the drinks. “Next round?”

Thea grinned. “Let me explain the game.”

One hour later a dozen untouched drinks sat on the table. Nyssa was listening in silence as a man prattled away at her. He either missed or ignored the narrowing of her eyes and the slow, but steady change in her breathing.

Felicity, Shado, and Thea stared in silence, sucking at the straws of their pretty, red daiquiris.

Finally Nyssa made a slicing noise with her hand and uttered a rapid fire length of words. Sara winced.

“That’s beautiful,” the man said. “What does it mean?”

“Leave me, or I will turn your scrotum into a coin purse,” Sara said.

The man looked between Nyssa and Sara. Nyssa said nothing. Sara shrugged.

“Um,” he said.

“Run away little cockroach,” Thea said. "The lights just flicked on in the kitchen and we have Raid."

The guy turned away, baffled.

Laurel arrived back at the table, two drinks in tow. “Winning,” she said.

“Nope,” Sara said. “Nyssa’s still one ahead of you.”

“Seriously? How?”

Sara shrugged. “Men like danger.”

“He called me exotic,” Nyssa said, her words dripping with disgust. “If he returns I will do more than castrate him.”

“I know honey,” Sara said. “Just keep it neat. I’m not sure where we bury bodies around here.”

“The mob would know,” Felicity said, swaying in her seat. “I know some people in the mob.”

“Oliver doesn’t count,” Thea said.

Felicity smiled a fuzzy smile. “Oh I knew the mob before Oliver.” She lifted a finger and pressed it to her lips in a silencing motion. “Shh. Don’t tell him.”

The group stared at her but Felicity had nothing more to say about her mob connections, real or fantasy. 

“Well,” Thea said, “that wasn’t creepy at all.”

“Incoming. Twelve o’clock,” Laurel said.

They all turned to see a man striding towards them, his dark hair slicked back, his shirt coming unbuttoned under his hands.

“What is he doing?” Thea said.

“Is he a threat?” Nyssa said.

“You can’t stab him for undressing,” Sara said.

“Watch me.”

He stopped in front of them, his fingers undoing the last button on his shirt. “Ladies,” he said. With a flick of the wrists he popped the shirt open showing a very impressive set of abs.

“Um,” Thea said.

“Pretty,” Felicity said.

He smirked. “Evening ladies."

“Why are you undressing?” Shado said.

He shrugged. “I see all your drinks, but maybe you are looking for something different.”

Felicity leaned forward and poked at his abs. He smiled indulgently at her. 

She sat back with a decisive nod. “Oliver is prettier. And musclier. And bigger. But not like in that way. But maybe in that way.”

“I need more alcohol,” Shado muttered.

Felicity handed her drink over. 

The man turned to Thea and Laurel, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. 

“My boyfriend is also musclier,” Thea said.

“Mine's not,” Laurel said. “Just stand there for a moment. Don’t say anything.” She took a sip of her drink, crossed and uncrossed her legs, then nodded. “Okay. That’s enough. Thank you. Have a good night.”

He smiled, gave her a teasing salute and swaggered away again, buttoning his shirt back up as he went.

“What did I just witness?” Shado said.

“You should have told him Slade was musclier too,” Felicity said. “It’s only fair.”  
__________________________

Tommy steadied the nose of the canoe with one hand. With the other he frantically scanned twitter. “Why is she staring at that guy?” Tommy said. “What is she doing?”

The canoe started to slide precariously forward. Tommy stepped back, letting it ease forward in a more controlled slide. His eyes never left the phone.

“Tommy,” Oliver said. 

Tommy didn’t look up. “Hold on.”

“Tommy!”

“Give me a minute.”

The canoe crashed out of Tommy’s hand, bouncing off the ground with a resounding thud.

Tommy looked up.

“I wasn’t holding the other end yet,” Oliver snarled.

“Whoops.”

“I’m using him for fish bait,” Slade called from the cabin. “At least then he’ll be useful.”

“Are they doing karaoke?” Tommy said. 

“Tommy, if you don’t pick up the other end of this canoe I’m going to actually let Slade use you for fish bait.”

“Are they doing karaoke to ‘Single Ladies?’”

“Tommy!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies. I wrote this while I watch the first disc of Hannibal Season 1. Here’s hoping it didn’t rub off on the writing… Oliver would prefer his girlfriend not meet a serial killer in Vegas. As always: no edits and thanks for reading!


	9. What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the boys prep for their journey the girls try to enjoy Vegas.

Starling City Times @StarlingCityTimes 8:35pm Check tomorrow’s gossip column to find out where Oliver Queen, Tommy Merlyn and their entourage are heading on their secret trip.

The Whispers @TheWhispersGossip 11:45pm The #StarlingCityCuties started their girls’ vacation out right with a stop at Hush, the hottest club around! bitlink.y.com/28934123

The Daily Gossip Column @TheDailyGossipColumn 11:53pm The #StarlingCityCuties appear to already be in the market for men. Vegas has plenty to offer! Click: bitlink.y.com/gossip9934

Thea Queen @TheAQueen 12:01am Huge shout out to Hush for showing us a good time but we’re going to get our karaoke on! Follow me and @LaurelLanceJD! We’re the sober ones!

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 1:45am At least Sara and I can sing. To the rest of the bar – sorry!

Felicity Smoak @FelicityMIT3 2:05am I never understod what a scrub was but it fun to sing about!!!!!1!

Thea Queen @TheAQueen 2:25am Attention twitter followers. We have taken Felicity Smoak’s phone away so she won’t tweet anymore badly spelled song lyrics at you.

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 2:43am Final tally for the night: Nyssa wins our “get a boy to buy you a drink” game, with Shado a close second!

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 2:44am On a side note, if you keep calling our friends exotic we are going to let them actually punch you into unconsciousness.

Thea Queen @TheAQueen 2:47am @LaurelLanceJD means that in the least threatening way possible.

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 2:49am @TheAQueen no I don’t.

__________________  
Slade viciously smacked a mosquito on his forehead, smearing the blood across his face as he wiped it away in disgust. “What is a ‘get a boy to buy you a drink game?’” he said.

“You explain it, Ollie,” Tommy panted, as he brought up the rear of their procession. “I can’t outrun him.” He was smeared with mud and already sweating through his expensive Ralph Lauren flannel shirt. It had seemed a fashionable, yet woodsy outfit. He was regretting it. 

“It means they got boys to buy them drinks,” Oliver said, ducking under a branch. Roy swatted the branch out of the way and when it careened back it slapped Digg in the face.

“If you do that one more time,” Digg muttered.

“Sorry,” Roy said.

“But how do they get the men to buy them drinks?” Slade said.

“Flirting,” Oliver said.

“So, manipulation,” Slade said. He grinned, lashing out at a branch with his machete. It dropped to the ground and he trod over it. “I’m proud of our girls. At least they’re having fun.”

Tommy tripped on the branch and almost went sprawling. He recovered just short of slamming his face into the dirt. “You’re not jealous that she’s flirting with other men?” 

“Why would I be jealous? I am concerned that we may have to bail them out of jail if she and Nyssa start dealing with idiots in their preferred method.”

“Shado will hold it together,” Oliver said. “Nyssa? That’s a different problem. And here we are.”

They all stopped to study the picturesque view. The river ran over stones, burbling cheerfully. Soft sunlight shown down through the trees as the wind gently rustled the leaves.

“Alright,” Slade said, “let’s get this nightmare over with.”

________________________  
“Wake up!” Thea said, pounding on the hotel door. “Wake up, wake up!”

The door flew open and Thea stumbled into the room past a groggy Shado. Felicity sat upright in bed, the eye mask still pulled down over her eyes.

“We got an invite!” Thea said, bouncing off of Shado’s bed to land on Felicity’s.

Felicity flailed. “Wha?”

Thea yanked the mask off her face. “We got an invite!”

“To where?” Shado asked, crawling back onto her bed.

“Jupiter Lounge!”

“Okay,” Shado said. She pulled the covers back over her head. “Wake me when it’s time to go.”

“No,” Thea said. “You don’t just go to Jupiter Lounge.”

“Yes you do,” Felicity said. “The tram will drop you off.”

Thea rolled her eyes. “We need a full spa prep day.”

“Nope,” Shado said from within her nest of blankets. “Felicity promised me we were going to see the Fountains, the Bellagio and the lions at MGM.”

There was a gentle rap at the door. Thea climbed off the bed and went to open the door, admitting a still sleepy Laurel. 

“What is going on?” Laurel said.

“We got invited to Jupiter Lounge.”

Laurel cocked her head thoughtfully as she sat down on the corner of Shado’s bed. Shado curled up into a ball, tucking the blankets in close.

“Should that mean something to me?” Laurel said.

“Argh!” Thea said. She turned and stomped out of the room, letting the door slam behind her. 

“It’s a club,” Felicity said, rubbing at her eyes.

“I know,” Laurel said. “But I don’t want to wake Nyssa and Sara.”

Shado flipped the covers off of her head. “You played her. You wound her up and sent her off.”

“Ten bucks says she goes storming off to wake them and try for a better reaction.”

“That’s a little evil,” Felicity said.

There was a yowl from the hallway, then the sound of something hitting the wall. 

“Okay, okay!” Thea shouted. A door slammed and the hallway was silent again.

Thea’s fist pounded on their room door. “You suck Lance!”

Laurel yawned and stretched. “Well that’s one thing done. Get up. We’re hitting the spa. You don’t just walk into Jupiter Lounge.”

“There’s a tram,” Felicity said.

Shado groaned and collapsed back onto the bed.

________________________  
“One more!” Tommy said.

He stepped back, boots slipping on the slimy, green rocks. He wobbled precariously, the camera gripped in his hands.

“I’m going to hold his head underwater,” Slade said. 

“Alright!” Tommy said. He came walking back across the stones, slipping every step, his waterproof boots working overtime to keep his feet dry. “Outfit change.”

Roy sighed and climbed down off the rock, ignoring the water that ran up over his own boots. “Why are we changing our clothes so much?” he grumbled.

“Because,” Tommy said, “We’ve got to have at least a week’s worth of fake twitter photos.”

“You know,” Slade said. “I would just wear the same thing all week.”

Oliver climbed down off the rock and shrugged. “It’s not Lian Yu. Got to keep up appearances.”

Slade jumped off the rock, sending a soaking wave of water over Oliver. “I think by day four I would hold Tommy under water. Someone should take a picture of that.”

Before Oliver could retaliate Tommy let out a wail. “Why!” he said, coming to a stop in the middle of the stream. “Why do they keep finding shirtless men?”

Oliver sighed. “I’ll take his phone from him. You guys get changed.

____________________  
“Thank you,” Felicity said, taking the bright pink drink from the bar tender. She clinked its edge to Shado’s beer, then the two women turned back to face the room. People move around in tight clusters, drinking and laughing. It was too early in the day for Vegas to be in true party mode but a few people were trying. A woman hung upside down from a stripper pole. Her friends were cheering her on. 

"I don't have any memory of stripper poles from last night," Felicity said. "Please tell me I haven't just blacked them out."

"If you have, I have."

They grinned at each other.

“I give it an hour before Thea tracks us down,” Shado said.

“Not if we keep moving. We should hit Paris next. They have chocolate. Beautiful chocolate.”

Shado leaned her beer over to tap Felicity’s glass again. "I'll drink to chocolate."

“Felicity!” a voice said.

“Oh no,” Felicity whispered. She turned to fully face Shado, dropping her head so that her blond hair fell over her face.

“Danger?” Shado said.

“Do I look okay?”

“What?”

“Do I look okay?” Felicity tugged at jer azure skirt, running her hands to smooth down the line she created when she pulled at it. 

Shado grabbed Felicity’s arm, yanking her close. “Are we in danger?” 

“What? No!”

“Felicity Smoak!”

The two women turned to find a tall, fit man beaming at them. His hair was perfectly tipped and gelled. The suit fit him just right, large rings adorning his right ring finger and left pointer finger. 

“It is you Smoaky!” he said. He grabbed Felicity and yanked her into a hug, engulfing her.

When he let go Felicity staggered back, a flush coloring her cheeks.

“Hi Mikey,” she said, her voice breathy.

“You look beautiful Smoaky!” He stepped back, his gaze running up and down her body. Felicity flushed even more.

“Um, yeah. You look, um beaut- I mean handsome. Very handsome. Yes.” Felicity shook herself. “What are you doing in Vegas?”

He spread his arms. “Vegas? Vegas is mine. I own half the Strip. Or haven’t you been reading the news in that pretty ivory tower of yours?” He turned to wink at Shado. “I guess I can’t expect a pretty girl from MIT to keep up with the losers she left behind.”

“You were never a loser,” Felicity said. “I mean you were prom king and the quarterback. And um. I was me.”

“You were beautiful,” he said, stepping in close again. “How could I miss you?”

“Um,” Felicity said, her free hand going to automatically tug at her dress again. The Cosmopolitan in her other hand tilted dangerously, dripping over the edge.

Shado tugged Felicity’s arm. “We have to go. We have… things… to do.”

“Um,” Felicity said.

“Right now.”

“Oh,” Mikey said. He let his arms drop, his smile falling away.

“Um,” Felicity said.

“Well listen,” he said. He reached into his pocket. Shado tensed but he didn’t notice. He withdrew a card and passed it to Felicity. She stared at him, hand still clutching at the hem of her dress.

Shado set her beer down and took the card. 

“You need anything while you’re in Vegas.” He leaned closer, the bright smile back. “Anything. You just let me know.”

“Um,” Felicity said.

“Right,” Shado said. “We’re going.”

She pulled Felicity out of the bar, her head down. 

Felicity tripped over her heels as she turned back to look at Mikey. “I had the biggest crush on him…”

A half dozen cell phones followed their progress out.

______________________

The Vegas Comet @VegasComet Vegas’s own Michael Jones was seen romancing Felicity Smoak. What Happens in Vegas, right? Go to our website for more celeb news!

______________________  
“Who’s Michael Jones?” Oliver said, peering at the phone in his hand.

Slade lifted his bag over her shoulder. “Get on the plane.”

“Do we have time to stop in Vegas?”

Digg caught Oliver’s shoulder and turned him back toward the plane. “Don’t let Slade be the sane one here. He doesn’t get jealous over his girlfriend. You don’t get jealous over yours.”

“You know he’s planning to hunt down every man who bought her a drink, right?”

Digg sighed and gave Oliver a shove. “Let me live blissfully ignorant for a little longer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been to Vegas multiple times, but I am going to remain lazy and keep this story as factually inaccurate as possible. Except for my upcoming knowledge of Thunder from Down Under. That will be 100% true to my memory.
> 
> Sorry for the long hiatus. I've been cheating on Arrow with Hannibal. I'm sorry, but Will Graham is a glorious, sad puppy. As I catch up on Arrow Season 3 I make you this promise: this is going to be done by November (yay NaNoWriMo!) and I won't orphan it. No one guilt trips me better than me.


	10. Spider, Sunfish and Shawn's, Oh my!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Incredibly short as I refind my rhythm. Goal: finished by November 1.

John: (image)

Lyla: WHAT IS THAT?!?

John: spider

Lyla: Why did you send me that? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?  
Lyla: Is it really that big?

John: yeah

Lyla: What kind is it? It looks like it eats small dogs.

John: asked slade. he took one look and ran out of the house  
John: won’t come back in. says he’s going to burn the house down  
John: says he’ll do it with us in it just to kill the spider

Lyla: John, get out of the house and let Slade burn it down.

John: yes ma’am

\--------------

Felicity applied another layer of bright red lipstick and considered the effect in the mirror. She pursed her lips, frowned at her reflection, and then turned around to show Shado. Shado was seated on the edge of the tub, already long dressed and ready. She glanced up from her phone to look at Felicity, then looked back at the phone.

“I can’t tell the difference,” she said. 

Felicity turned back to the mirror. “Is it red enough?”

“Can I just say yes?”

“Yes,” Felicity said.

“It is the perfect shade of red. There is no better shade of red.”

Felicity capped the lipstick before turning back to her friend. “What is so interesting?”

“The boys have started tweeting.”

Felicity sat down on the edge of the bath tub with Shado and leaned over the other woman’s shoulder to get a look at the image. Oliver, Slade, and Tommy were holding up five fish between them. Tommy looked suitably delighted to be on a “boys only” vacation. Oliver was at least making an effort to smile and if Felicity hadn’t know him better she might have believed it was real. Slade on the other hand looked like he had been dragged into the forest against his will and was plotting murder. Which was probably accurate.

Felicity peered a little closer at the image. There was a strange dark spot behind one fish’s gill.

“Did Oliver, who is supposed to be pretending not to be a dude who likes arrows, actually shoot a fish with an arrow and then hold it up like nobody would notice?”

“In his defense,” Shado said, “based on the appearance of Slade’s fish he jumped on the poor things and physically subdued them rather than using a rod and reel for it.”

“So in Slade’s defense they’re both idiots?”

“Basically.”

There was a loud pounding on the door. “Open up!” Laurel yelled.

“Are you sure we can’t just find another buffet and gorge ourselves?” Shado said.

“Thea says ‘Jupiter Lounge or Bust.’” Felicity stood, smoothing down her skirt before heading for the door. Before she could reach it there was a beep and then the door jerked open six inches before catching on the chain.

“Hey!” Felicity said.

Thea peered through the crack. “Undo the chain. We’ve got plans.” She jerked the door shut again, then knocked, as though Felicity might forget she was on the other side.

“Buffet,” Shado said.

“We’ll never be able to slip past all four of them, and we’re on the fifteenth floor. No way out.” She undid the chain and stepped back as the other four came charging through.

Laurel thrust her phone into Felicity’s face. “Did you see this?” she asked.

Felicity leaned back so that she could better see the screen. It was the same fishing picture of the boys. “We just saw it. Why?”

Thea was pinging around the room on a weird sort of energy high. “We have an idea,” she said, “let’s go.”

“Please remember,” Shado said, “that some of us have boyfriends who have a tendency to strangle people when they get annoyed.”

“Noted,” Thea said. “But they’re on another continent. Let’s go.”

\------

 

@TommyMerlynWins 4:30 pm – Look what we caught for dinner! 2 musky, 2 bass and a sunfish!

 

@LaurelLanceJD 5:25 pm – Look what we caught on our way to dinner! 2 Matts, 2 Bryans and a Shawn! On our way to @JupiterLounge. See what we catch there!

\------

Tommy threw his cell phone at the wall. The $300 case made a very unsatisfyingly soft thump as it hit and then again when it struck the ground.

Roy looked up from his fish, glanced from the phone to Tommy and back again, then shrugged and dug back into his fish. It was good fish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Incredibly short! Just wanted to write the spider honestly. More to come!


	11. Jupiter Lounge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls head out to Jupiter Lounge. I suddenly decide to attempt to work a small plot/subplot in. Disaster, as always, ensues.

The Whispers @TheWhispersGossip 5:45 pm – The #StarlingCityCuties aren’t playing fair! Click for pics! bitlink.by.com/imagejump

The Vegas Comet @VegasComet 5:51 pm - @JupiterLounge is expecting some fun tonight! VIP’s all around! Follow our gossip page for all the details.

\------  
The music pulsed through the club. Beautiful men and women lounged across classical furniture with sweeping lines, leather, and clawfooted legs. Brightly colored drinks circulated the room under the watchful eye of male and female waitstaff dressed in close fitting black suits.

Felicity sat with her head tilted back, studying the ceiling. A huge fresco depicted Jupiter with his hands wrapped around Saturn’s throat as Saturn disgorged he swallowed children. “Am I the only one freaked out by that?” she said.

“Just don’t look at it,” Thea said. Her own gaze remained thoughtfully fixed on a pretty boy spinning around a pole in what was apparently supposed to be a toga, although it didn’t cover much. 

Nyssa and Sara both sat with their heads thrown back as well. “I like it,” Nyssa said.

“No,” Sara said.

“No?” Nyssa said.

“No. We are not painting a picture on our bedroom ceiling of you strangling your father.”

“I was leaning more towards me fighting off his henchman one by one. If you must know it would definitely keep me ‘in the mood’ as you like to say.”

“I’d rather be celibate than have something like that on our ceiling.”

Laurel sat cheerfully sipping on a Mountain Dew, surrounded by her collection of free drinks. “Felicity, you could have a huge mural of Oliver.”

Felicity frowned. “Shirtless on the salmon ladder?”

“TMI,” Thea muttered. “Excuse me, I’m going to go chat with that very talented young man about what he charges.”

“I don’t think he’s a stripper,” Felicity said, finally yanking her gaze away from the morbid painting.

“I own a club, we need talent.”

“Mmm, talent,” Sara said.

Nyssa swatted playfully at her. Thea gave a toss of her hair in answer and stalked away as primly as she could manage in her four inch heels.

Shado sat down at the table, depositing three more drinks. “Maybe we should call of this whole drink thing. It was more fun before all of Vegas found out about it on twitter.”

“You’re just jealous because you’re not in the lead anymore,” Laurel said.

Shado swept her hand out to encompass the fifteen drinks at their table. “You don’t drink. I prefer beer. Felicity’s about done after two drinks. We’re never going to finish these.”

“Hey,” Sara said. “First of all, Nyssa, Thea and I are doing our best to make up for you guys and your lack of team spirit, excluding Laurel of course. Thanks for not drinking. Two thumbs up and an extra AA sticker for you.”

“Thanks,” Laurel said.

“Besides, Nyssa and I are trying to taste every kind of drink Vegas has to offer and doing it free is definitely the way to go.”

“Well!” a voice said from over Sara’s head, “then I am the friend for you.”

Sara bristled, turning to glare at the new comer. When she recognized him her expression immediately changed, a smile flowing in to replace the evil look. “Well if it isn’t Michael Jones!”

He grinned at her, holding out a hand and then pumping hers up and down when she reached out to shake it. “Felicity’s told you about me, then.”

“Oh no,” Laurel said. “Twitter’s told us about you.”

He laughed, a big booming laugh. Then he leaned close to wink at her and extend his hand to her. “Don’t believe everything they say.” He shook her hand, then turned to Nyssa. “So, I hear you were leading the drinks game last.”

Nyssa pursed her lips but nodded her head toward Laurel. “She’s passed us all.”

“Networking,” Laurel said. “I have a gift.”

“She also doesn’t threaten people,” Sara said.

“And there’s that.”

“Well, I’m Mikey.” He shook Nyssa’s hand. She pulled her hand quickly when he released it but he didn’t seem to notice. “But I’m here to ask how many Felicity needs to catch up.”

“She’s nine behind,” Sara said cheerfully as they all turned to stare at Felicity. She sat frozen in her chair, her cheeks a bright pink. 

Shado leaned supportively into her, and Felicity jumped. “Um, right, nine. I’m losing by nine. Which is fine I don’t mind. I mean Oliver—“ Shado elbowed her and she jumped again. “Um.”

“Oliver’s not here to see,” Sara said. “Live a little.”

“Within reason,” Laurel warned, her eyes narrowing at Mikey. “We’re here to hang out. Girls weekend.”

He nodded, his face suddenly somber. “Of course. But before I go. Are there any drinks you haven’t tasted?”

Sara perked up. “Only the entire right side of the menu.” She passed over the thick, antique-style paper with its gold calligraphy.

“House specials,” he read. “Tell you what, how about I buy Felicity 18 of these and she can share them.”

“Oh I like you,” Sara said. She turned back to Felicity. “Say thank you.”

“Um,” Felicity said.

“No problem,” Mikey said. “We locals have to stick together.”

With that he turned and headed for the bar. The women watched him go for a moment, then they all turned back, lunging in to lean close to Felicity.

“Oh my,” Sara said, giggling. “Someone’s got a crush.”

“I do not,” Felicity stammered out.

“Well I meant him, but okay, that was real reassuring.”

Thea elbowed her way back into the group. “What did I miss? What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing,” Laurel said. “Felicity just has a crush on someone who’s not Ollie and he’s just bought her the way to the top of our little game.”

“Sweet,” Thea said. “Take pictures. This is going on twitter.”

She started to pull back again.

“Wait,” Felicity said, desperately reaching for Thea. “Where are you going?”

“That guy? He’s awesome. He’s going to show me some moves.”

“Moves?” Felicity said. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I thought we were all fake broken up. Not really broken up.”

“Mind out of the gutter,” Thea said. “He’s some kind of aerialist. I’m not cheating. And neither are you.” She gestured in the direction Mikey had gone off in. “Not even with some high school crush. You love Ollie. Now, enjoy your limited time position as winner. I’m coming back strong tomorrow night.” With that she disappeared into the crowd.

Felicity looked around the table trying to find a sympathetic face. For a moment she had Shado’s pity, then Mikey returned with three wait staff. They started transferring drinks to the table from their trays. Mikey plucked a beer off of one of the trays and passed it to Shado. “For those with differing tastes.”

Shado accepted the beer and took a careful swallow. She pulled it away to appreciatively study the label. “Well, Felicity,” she said, loudly. “You found a keeper. This one at least has decent taste in beer, unlike the last one.”

Laurel let out a delighted cackle. She lifted the fresh Mountain Dew Mikey had brought her. “To Mikey, may he be around to buy us drinks every night.”

The rest of the women lifted their drink of choice in a rousing chorus of approval while Mikey grinned. Around them phones came up, readying for the next popular tweet. Felicity groaned and dropped her head into her hands. 

\-----  
@TommyMerlynWins 7:06 pm – (image) Nice night to sit around the campfire! Good thing we brought smores.

@LaurelLanceJD 7:39 pm – Alright, while we appreciate all of Vegas buying us drinks this is starting to get out of hand. Last count is 75 for the night.

@LaurelLanceJD 7:41 pm - In other news, @FelicityMIT3 is winning thanks to a friend. Shout out to @MichaelJonesVegas!

\-----  
“I’d love to take you to dinner,” Mikey said, as he carefully set aside yet another donated pale blue drink. Felicity took a desperate swallow of her own pale blue drink and was pleasantly delighted by the taste of coconut.

Felicity plucked uncertainly at her bright pink straw, eyes focused on her drink as she answered. “That’s really nice. But I’m not really looking to date.”

He grinned. “No worries. I get the rebound thing, but I might not get a better chance to catch-up and this,” he beckoned at the ceiling and the seats and the velvety purple walls, “isn’t exactly an ideal place to relive high school memories.”

Felicity considered him, but his smile remained innocent and sweet.

“Alright,” she said. “Dinner. Totally casual. Not dating.”

“Perfect!” He stood, his hand slipping into his breast pocket on his suit. He pulled out another business card and handed it over.

“I have the first one you gave me,” she said. Waving vaguely in the direction of Nyssa and Sara. The two women sat over the collection of their purses. No one was going to be stealing them with Nyssa’s dark eyes threatening everyone who even glanced at the way Sara’s dress rode tantalizingly up her thigh.

“That’s a business card. This is my personal number. No gargoyle of a secretary trying to screen my calls for women proposing.”

“Do you get that a lot?”

“Much less now that I have a good secretary.”

He gently caught her hand, slid the card into it, then turned her hand over to place a gentle kiss on the back. “You are even better than I remember Felicity. I’m looking forward to our dinner.”

“Just dinner,” she said, a bright blush creeping up her neck for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. “Not a date.”

“Not a date. No flowers. I promise.”

He gave a cheerful wave to the rest of the table, then headed out. 

“Does this mean no more free drinks?” Nyssa said.

“You could get free drinks if you quit threatening to disembowel people,” Sara said.

Nyssa snorted. “I would rather buy my own. I am going to buy the red one. Anyone else?”

Felicity stared in horror at the drinks already threatening to spill off their table. “Please no more.”

Nyssa shrugged and went striding off toward the bar.

As soon as she was gone Laurel turned to Felicity. “So, he likes you. That should be some date.”

“It’s dinner!” Felicity protested. “He’s not bringing flowers.”

“I bet he brings jewelry,” Sara said.

“You and Michael Jones are trending on local twitter,” Shado said. She held the phone up and Felicity snatched it from her hand to stare in terror at the hashtag #Milicity.

“Oh God.”

“Excellent diversion tactics,” Laurel said.

“Oliver’s going to flip.”

“He’s a big boy.”

“He’s a vigilante who run around with a bow and arrow and yells ‘you have failed this city’ at bad guys.”

“She has a point,” Shado said. “But look at it this way. Unlike certain men he’s unlikely to accidentally burn down Mikey Jones’ personal suite.”

“Oh, I feel so much better now.”

Nyssa arrived back at the table, missing her red drink.

“Trouble?” Sara said.

“Maybe. Do you think Mikey knows four, burly, scarred men who would accost him, take him by the arms and drag him out just as he’s exiting?”

They all turned to look at Felicity. 

“Is this theoretical, or did Mikey just get dragged out by four goons?”

“He might have been dragged out by four goons,” Nyssa said.

“Why didn’t you stop them?” Felicity snatched up her purse and started rustling through it.

“He didn’t put up a fight. I thought maybe they were friends.”

“Most people aren’t friends with the mafia.”

“I don’t know anyone like that,” Nyssa admitted.

Felicity finally found her phone and starting swiping her way through screens, staring intently at it. After a moment she sat back with a groan, turning the webpage around for the other women to view.

“’Michael Jones stands up to local syndicate,’” Laurel read. “By ‘syndicate’ do they actually mean ‘mafia?’”

“Yup.” Felicity shoved the phone back in her purse. “Come on. We have to go rescue him. He can’t vanish off the face of the earth just as people start creating a hashtag for us. Then we'll never convince the world Oliver isn’t some vengeful assassin.”

“Does this mean we get to stab people?” Nyssa asked.

“No,” Felicity said. “Absolutely not.”

“Maybe,” Sara said.

Nyssa smiled. “I am so glad I came along. Can we take drinks with us?”

“Open carry law,” Laurel said. “Why?”

“I still want my red drink. You find Thea. I will find my drink.”

\-----  
@LaurelLanceJD 7:59 pm – (image) Nice night to sit around a flaming drink! Good thing @JupiterLounge has a s’mores drink to sip!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally caved and wrote a tiny outline. I think I know where I'm steering for. Considering this thing was supposed to have all of 5 parts, I'm not going to pretend that I'm fully in control here.
> 
> A huge thanks to everyone reading and commenting. Plan remains - finish by NaNo or bust! This means I have to up my publishing rate. I'm working on it! Bare with my guys as I try to cram 4 days worth of stuff into my 3 day weekend.
> 
> As always, mostly unedited, apologies!


	12. Meeting the Mob

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So. I am terrible at getting this written apparently. In my defense I spent the last week plus getting my horse ready and we got a blue ribbon to prove that we were awesome. My latest promise: finish this by mid-November and don't let NaNo get in the way.

The Daily Gossip @TheDailyGossip 8:56 pm – Felicity Smoak spotted out with millionaire Michael Jones 2nd night in a row! Sparks fly!

The Vegas Comet @VegasComet 9:05 pm – Smoak is showing a penchant for dangerous men. In his bid for Vegas supremacy, Jones has made enemies. For details see page 3 tomorrow. 

The Whispers @TheWhispersGossip 9:37 pm – Are the #MountainMen losing their touch? The #StarlingCityCuties win the tweet war. Bitlink.jyl.com/images/234

\-----  
Even Vegas took on a chill in the early spring as the sun sunk down and the heat dissipated away. Felicity stood under the flickering overhead awning of Fremont Street, rubbing at her arms to chase away the goosebumps. Shado stood beside her silent, and watchful.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Felicity said.

“Uh huh.”

“I mean, all that stuff about the Vegas mob scene is mostly made up.”

“Really?”

Felicity sighed. “No. He’s probably being drowned in a hot tub right now. I hate this city.”

Two girls tottering past on high heels gave them nasty looks. Shado glared back and they sped up their stilted gait, escaping into a store advertising all the Vegas souvenirs you could ever want.

“He could still be alive,” Shado said. “Or mostly alive.”

Nyssa dropped to the ground between them with a soft thud, straightening with a cat-like ease. Felicity yipped and scrambled back. Shado stopped just short of striking Nyssa in the solar plexus. 

An unperturbed Nyssa smiled innocently at Shado. “He’s probably dead,” she said.

“Where did you even come from?” Felicity asked, peering up at the gleaming display above them.

Sara walked up, clutching a colorful drink swirled with pinks and greens. “She possesses a gift.”

“And decades of training,” Shado said. “Did you find anything out on Mikey?”

Sara took a slurp of her drink. “He’s probably dead. All the news is full of talk about his enemies.”

Felicity groaned. “It’s all my fault.”

Shado frowned. “How exactly?”

“I’m terrible luck for men. Oliver’s a vigilante. Barry was struck by magic lightning, and then became a super hero. Ray was a superhero, then he blew up.”

“For the record Oliver’s kind of a superhero too,” Sara said, taking another slurp of her drink.

“So, I make men into superheroes.”

“Which means Mikey may still be alive,” Sara said.

“And apparently a superhero,” Shado said. “You have oddly specific tastes.”

Thea came striding up, dragging Laurel behind her. Laurel was rapidly tapping at her phone.

“We’ve got nothing,” Thea said. “Laurel told me ten minutes ago that she was going to check social media for info and she hasn’t looked up since.”

“Busy,” Laurel said. “Providing boys with alibi.” She jabbed particularly hard at her phone, then slid her phone into her back pocket. “Where are we at?”

“No sign of him,” Sara said.

“We’ve got nothing here either,” Thea said.

Felicity groaned. “He’s dead.”

“Or a superhero,” Shado reminded her. “Maybe we should go to the police.”

For a moment they stood together in silence. 

“Huh,” Thea said finally. “I didn’t think of that.”

“We actually should have done that a long time ago,” Laurel said.

“We are getting really bad at being normal people,” Shado said.

“Wait!” Felicity threw her hand up. “I’ve got it”

“Oh thank goodness,” Laurel said. “I think I’m starting to get hives every time I have to talk to a police officer that isn’t my father.”

“We’re going to talk to the mob,” Felicity said.

Thea pulled her own phone out and began scrolling through it. “Hold on, I’m updating my will for when Ollie decides to kill us over this.”

\-----  
The casino was older, lacking the excitement and shininess of Paris, the Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace. What it lacked in modernism it made up for in sheer neon. Felicity Smoak strode through the front doors without looking left or right. The jangle of slot machines greeted her and then receded as she headed straight for the card games. Someone several shots into the night was losing spectacularly at poker while the group he played against harassed and harangued him into upping the pot again. Another lack luster group leaned close around the blackjack table. Felicity smoothed her skirt as she settled in at their table. The two men glanced at her before leaning back in to stare at the cards. 

The woman dealing smiled tiredly. “One more hand and I’ll deal you in.”

Felicity nodded nervously, her hands moving to tug at her hair so that it fell better over her ear.

“Relax,” Laurel said, her voice slightly tinny through the cheap ear bug Felicity had been forced to settle through. “Sara and Nyssa have your back.”

Felicity covertly nodded, then tried out a watery smile as the dealer began to deal the cards. The first few dealings went smoothly, then Felicity bent to work with a vengeance. By the eighth hand the dealer was eyeing her suspiciously and the two men were glaring.

By the tenth hand the room was in motion. 

“You’re doing fine,” Laurel said. “Just hang on. There’s a really old security guard limping over.”

“Right or left?” Felicity muttered.

“What?”

“Which leg is he limping on? Right or left?”

“Um. Right?”

“Tattoo?”

The dealer was slapping down the cards. “You’re in trouble,” she hissed.

Felicity winced.

“You’re doing fine,” Laurel cut in. “Ignore her. And yes, tattoo on the back of his neck. How much trouble are we in?”

Felicity whooshed out a sigh of relief. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

A hand landed on her shoulder and she jumped, jerking her head up to stare at the man. “Come with me,” he said.

Felicity stood, the dealer smirking at her as she started to scoop Felicity’s chips up.

“Leave those,” the man said. “She’ll be back.”

Laurel's voice rose. “Felicity!” 

“Hi Uncle Warren,” Felicity said.

"Oh no," Laurel said.

Sara let loose a mad cackle of delight. “Oh Felicity Smoak. This is why I like you.”

\-----

Uncle Warren had taught her to play cards when she was seven. At eight she’d taught herself to count them. He’d been ecstatic. He wasn’t actually a relation but after years of sitting at the bar with her, helping her eat her way through bowls of peanuts and stale pretzels, he was the next best thing. 

He led her through a doorway with an old, faded “Employees Only” sign posted on it. The short hallway was dark but the room he led her down to was brightly lit, probably in deference to the bifocals and reading glasses the men gathered around the table needed.

The three seated men turned to stare and Felicity paused in the doorway. Uncle Warren gave her a gentle shove and she stumbled into the room. The door slammed shut behind her. 

“So,” he said, “is there a reason you’re counting cards in my club?”

“Would you believe I missed you?”

\-----  
Laurel banged the communicator against her thigh, trying to force some useful noise out of it. She lifted it to her ear again and got only steady cursing from Sara. Nothing from Felicity. 

“Someone please tell me you’ve heard something from Felicity,” Laurel said.

“Fifteen minutes of silence,” Nyssa said, her voice matter of fact.

“I’m in the casino,” Shado said. “Where did she go?”

“No idea,” Laurel said. “She mentioned an Uncle Warren though.”

“Excuse me,” Shado said. “Don’t touch me.”

“Shado?” Laurel said.

“I said—“ Shado went quiet for a moment. “Where’s Felicity? She better not be hurt.”

“I’m going in,” Nyssa said.

“Me too,” Sara said.

\-----  
John: 

Lyla: Well, that picture’s better. But are all kangaroos so muscly?

John: apparently

Lyla: I have a bad feeling there’s a story here.

John: it beat oliver up

Lyla: WHAT?!

John: it walked up to us, sniffed around and then just went after oliver

Lyla: What did Slade say?

John: he ran away as soon as the thing went after ollie

Lyla: Isn’t he supposed to be from Australia? Shouldn’t he be used to the local fauna?

John: apparently this is how australians react to the wildlife

Lyla: Do me a favor. If you see Slade running – follow him.

John: copy that

\-----  
Nyssa kicked in the door with a single swift strike. It swung in, bouncing back off the wall with an echoing bang. The inhabitants of the room stared at her as she came crashing in, bedecked in leather and steel. Sara went marching in past her and then froze, mid-step.

Felicity and Shado sat perched on metal folding chairs, ice cold glasses of soda in their hands. Four senior gentleman, in varying stages of balding, stood gathered around them.

“Would you like a coke?” the tallest man asked. “We can add a little something.”

“So,” Sara said, “just checking. Nobody’s getting tortured or kidnapped?”

“Nope,” Felicity said. “We’re waiting for our root beer floats to get here.”

Nyssa lifted her hand to her ear. “You do realize we lost our connection with you?”

“Blockers,” Felicity said.

Nyssa backed out of the room. “We have her,” she said. “Calm down and come meet us.”

The tallest of the men turned back to Felicity. “Now Scooby. What are you and your friends looking for?”

\-----

The Vegas Comet @VegasComet 12:38 am Fremont Street gets a visit from our favorite VIP’s! bitlink.com/74824235

The Vegas Times @VegasTimes 6:04 pm Recent criminal activity surrounding the north strip leaves police concerned. Mayor threatens “stop and frisk.”

Tommy Merlyn @TommyMerlynWins 10:32 pm The stars are beautiful tonight. Definitely can’t see these from Vegas.

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 10:59 pm Loving the lights of Vegas!


	13. Everything is better with a little gymnastics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few warnings for people at the bottom. All soft, but I know I promised this was fluff and I vaguely hint at unfluffy things.

“I just want to go on the record that I hate this plan,” Thea said.

“We agreed that we would try to do this the non-violent way first,” Shado said. “This, admittedly was not really what I had in mind.”

“Why am I the bait?” Felicity said.

Laurel finished tucking the much improved wire into place, smoothing it so that it was invisible under Felicity’s form fitting dress. “Because let’s be honest,” she said, “you look the least likely to be a super-secret ninja warrior. Plus they won’t be surprised to find you looking for your boy toy.”

Uncle Warren had been more than happy to provide them with some toys. “Always happy to pay back some favors!” he had said, as he cheerfully handed over plastic bags of hardware.

Felicity had flushed and stammered out dozens of excuses that amounted to very little. The gifts were coming in handy, regardless of Felicity’s inability to come up with a good excuse as to why a bunch of old retired mob bosses owed her.

“Remember,” Thea said, “don’t die. Ollie will flip out.”

“Oh, thanks. I hadn’t thought of that.”

\-----

The house was beautiful. Palm trees cast shadows over its white adobe walls and a stone drive was filled with expensive cars. Felicity’s heels clicked loudly as she walked under the bright security lights. At the front door a body guard shifted, one hand going up to touch the com at his ear as she approached.

Felicity pulled on her best smile, then paused to reconsider, settling for an irritated frown. She stopped in front of the body guard, hands on her hips.

“Where is he?” she said.

“Who?”

“You know who,” she said. “Michael Jones. That lying asshole stood me up.”

The body guard’s jaw dropped for a moment. Then he shook his head, recovering. “Lady, did you march all the way out here to slug some guy for standing you up?”

“Oliver Queen thought he could stand me up too. I’m not letting anybody else stand me up. You hear me?”

“Listen, lady. I get it. Men are assholes. My last boyfriend, he used to tell me he was working late. Turns out he was screwing his pool boy. How f’ing clichéd is that?”

“Men suck,” Felicity agreed. “I mean, present company excluded.”

“Nah, I get it. Listen, just go home—“ He stopped, hand going back to his ear piece. His expression sagged. “Last chance lady. If you run I’ll pretend you got away.”

The door behind him snapped open. Felicity flinched back but the two men lunged out, grabbed her arms and yanked her through. The last thing she saw before the doors slammed shut was the apologetic expression on the door guard’s face.

The two men dragged her through the house. Felicity caught glimpses of gold gilding on every surface imaginable and a few areas that were a bit ridiculous. It seemed a little excessive to gold gild the stove top.

“I’m really just here to get my date,” Felicity babbled. “You know how men are. Except you of course. I’m sure you would never stand your girlfriends up.”

“I don’t date,” the one grunted. “Women are bitches.”

“Great,” Felicity said. “Just great.”

“He dies first,” Nyssa said, her voice sharp and clear over Felicity's carefully concealed wire.

The men yanked her to a stop in front of a door covered with beautiful wood cut outs. One of the men rapped his knuckles on the door. There was a pause. Then the door cracked open.

“We got Mikey’s girlfriend,” the man said. The door closed again with a click. Muffled voices could be heard through the door, then it swung open again. The men dragged Felicity through the door. The room was a mix of burgundy, gold and black. It attempted to be lavish but mostly it was gaudy even by Vegas standards. Overstuffed couches, chairs, and ottomans sat around the room. The only surface that wasn’t overly plush was a grey metal folding chair. Sitting in that chair was Mikey Jones, his hands tied behind his back, lower lip torn and cheek purpling with bruises.

His eyes widened at the sight of her. “Oh, Felicity. No.”

“Hi,” Felicity squeaked out. “Um. You stood me up.” She glanced nervously around the room. It was full of glaring men. One stood behind Mikey, a brass knuckle wearing hand resting on Mikey’s shoulder. Felicity watched his hand tighten on Mikey’s shoulder. Mikey winced. Felicity winced in sympathy. “And, um, I’m mad at you. Really mad.”

“Felicity Smoak,” said the man standing behind Mikey. “It’s a pleasure. Are you here to join us for some fun?”

“The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” Felicity blurted.

The man frowned. “What?”

“The Devil Went Down to Georgia. It’s a country song. Or maybe bluegrass? I get confused.” The man took a step out from behind Mikey. Felicity flinched back but couldn’t go far with the goons still holding on to her. “Anyway,” she hurried on. “This guy fiddles against the devil and he wins and gets a violin, or a fiddle or something. The point is, you’re the devil and I’m Johnny and I’ll fiddle you for Mikey.”

“Did you just call me the Devil?” the man said.

“Um, only metaphorically?”

The man smiled. He walked across the floor, carefully working the brass knuckles off his hand. He passed them to one of the men holding Felicity, then placed an implacable hand on Felicity’s shoulder and drew her away from the door.

“I’m Lucifer,” he said.

“Did your mother really name you Lucifer?” Felicity said. “Like Lucy?”

“Felicity,” Mikey said. “Now is not the time.”

“Right, sorry.”

“If I’m the devil,” Lucifer said, “and you’re Johnny, then where’s the fiddle?”

Felicity held her hand up for the first time, revealing the deck of cards tucked there. “I’m not so good at music, but blackjack? Who doesn’t love blackjack in Vegas?”

“Is she joking?” someone said.

Lucifer stared at her, then a slow smile crossed his face. “You’re an odd duck, Felicity Smoak. A hot one though. I’ll tell you what, you want to play cards for old Mikey’s soul, I’ll let you try.” He snapped his fingers. “Get us a folding table. Now.”

Several men scurried out and two others bent to work moving the huge furniture out of the way.

“Felicity,” Mikey said. “Please go away.”

She shook a finger at him. “I’m mad at you. For standing me up. Because that’s what women do. We throw histrionics, or something. No talking.”

Lucifer took the deck of cards from her. He cracked the plastic wrapper, then opened the box and sorted through the cards. “They look okay. We’ll use these. Keep it fair with a new deck.”

“Right,” Felicity said. “Fair.”

“We’re in position,” Sara’s voice cut in over her ear bud. “Ready to bust in.”

“I’m sure I can win Mikey back with no violence,” Felicity said. “And isn’t that for the best?”

“Sure,” Lucifer said. “Violence free.”

Sara blew out a sigh. “Just remember the code word. No way is a guy named Lucifer going to just let Mikey go.”

Two more folding chairs were pulled up and set at the table. Mikey’s chair was roughly dragged up to join the table as well. He gave Felicity a baleful look but didn’t say anything as she sat. Lucifer sat across from her, placing the card deck in the middle of the table. The doors opened and let two women slip in. Both had sleek black hair scraped up into high pony tails that trailed all the way down their backs. Their dresses were short, tight and bloody red, embroidered with gold dragons coiling up the length of the skirt. They both looked patently bored with the entire experience.

One of the women grabbed the cards and began expertly shuffling them, the cards flying swiftly through her fingers. The other woman moved to stand behind Mikey, leaning over him to desposit a stack of chips.

“We’re going to let Mikey play for his own life, too,” Lucifer said. “It seems only fair.” He began to dispense the chips.

“Right,” Felicity said. Someone moved behind her and she looked up to see a truly gigantic man leaning over her.

“That’s Frank,” Lucifer said. “He’s just going to make sure you’re playing fair, too.”

“Great.”

The dealer handed Lucifer the deck and he cut it, then handed it back to her. With rapid fingers the dealer slapped down a card in front of each of them. They bent to the game. 

Four hands in Felicity leaned back in disgust. “You’re counting cards.”

“So are you,” said Lucifer.

Mikey twitched uncomfortably in is chair. “Can we please just go back to punching me? I really can’t stand all this suspense.”

“Michael,” Lucifer said, “shut up and let the lady win your honor back.”

The woman standing behind Mikey wiggled his cards. He sighed. “Fine, hit me.” The woman tapped the table and the dealer set down another card. 

“Bust,” Lucifer said, “Felicity?”

She considered the table, then tapped the table. “Hit me.”

A three landed with her cards. 

“Twenty-one,” the dealer said. She turned to Lucifer. “Deal?”

He nodded and tapped the table. His card landed. “Busted,” Felicity said, delighted.

“You seem to be better at counting cards then I am,” he said. 

The dealer raked in the last of Mikey’s chips. The table sat empty in front of Mikey. 

Lucifer considered the piles sitting in front of himself and Felicity. “Well, Mr. Jones has nothing left to bet.”

Mikey groaned.

“No worries,” Lucifer said. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a switch blade. He opened it with a flick of his wrist. It was very sharp and very shiny in the golden glow the gaudy chandelier cast over them. “We’ll throw a few fingers into the pot.”

Mikey twisted violently against his ties as Lucifer lunged at him.

Felicity scrambled out of her chair. Frank made a grab for her and she jabbed her elbow into his gut. He doubled over with an ‘oof.’ “Florida!” Felicity said. “Florida, Florida, Florida!” 

The huge, beautiful glass window exploded inward, glass raining into the room.

“Shit!” Sara said, “That’s not us!”

Felicity dove for cover behind one of the huge couches as the man who had come dramatically through the window rolled to his feet like a gymnast. For a moment, Felicity thought it was Roy. He was slim and muscular, but the eyes behind the mask weren’t right.

Everyone in the room suddenly had a gun drawn and pointed directly at him. The man paused, head cocked thoughtfully. “I’d rather you didn’t do that,” he said.

The door flew open in a shower of wood splinters. Sara came striding in. Felicity slapped her hands over her ears just in time as the Canary Cry echoed around the room. Guns dropped to the ground, the men throwing their hands up to cover their ears. Lucifer staggered back from Mikey, shaking his head.

As the echoes died away Nyssa and Shado burst into the room, blades in hand. No bows in sight. The men were still shaking their heads, trying to clear the noise. Lucifer was pointing and shouting but his men were clearly too deafened to hear him. Felicity pushed herself up to her hands and knees to crawl across the room. Lucifer’s blade lay on the plush carpet. 

A gun shot rang out and Felicity winced and ducked but there was an answering thud as the shooter fell to the ground, Nyssa making quick work of him. Sara round house kicked a man trying to swing a fireplace poker at her. He went down like a tree, the floor shuddering when he hit.

Felicity bobbled the blade around for a moment, trying to get it right. Finally she managed to find an angle at which she could slide the blade in and cut the plastic ties without slicing into Mikey’s skin.

As soon as he was free he leapt to his feet, rubbing at the angry, red indents left in his wrists. The gymnast was at his side in a moment, still shaking his own head. “We have to go!” the gymnast said, his voice overly loud.

Nyssa appeared at Felicity’s shoulder. She pointed at the window. “Move. Apparently the front door guard decided he wanted to quit in style. The police are on their way down the street.”

“I hate jumping out windows,” Felicity said. 

Sara swept up beside her, threading her arm through Felicity’s. She moved to thread her other arm through Mikey’s. “Come on! It’ll be like old times!”

“First floor window,” Nyssa said. “It’s three feet. Move.”

They moved around a small group who was apparently stupid enough to attempt to engage Shado. She neatly cut her way out and fell in with them, the barest limp visible as she moved. One quick jump through the window and into the shrubbery, which was thankfully a ridiculous hedgerow rather than a collection of cacti.

Nyssa lead them through the darkness and to the tall adobe wall. She climbed it in a single bound, the gymnast leaping up after her. The two of them pulled Mikey up as Shado and Sara gave Felicity a boost and then followed her over themselves. On the other side the door guard was waiting. He grinned at Felicity. “You have interesting friends!”

“You have no idea,” she said. “For the record this is our little secret.”

“Giant secret,” Sara said. “Like we hunt you down.”

“No worries!” he said. “Never like that guy. Absolute asshole. Reminded me of an old boyfriend. That’s probably why I took the job actually. I have terrible taste.”

“I totally get it,” Felicity said. 

A long black limo, its lights off, came gliding down the road. The back door opened and Thea leaned out. “Let’s go! The police are busting in the front door right now.”

Felicity slid in, Shado right after her, and the rest of them following. Even a limo is a little tight with three men and five women sitting in the back. Thea climbed over the divider to get into the passenger seat beside Laurel.

“Everyone good?” Laurel called back.

The gymnast was poking and prodding worriedly at Mikey’s side. Mikey winced each time, finally slapping the other man’s hand away. “I’m fine,” he said.

“Felicity?” Laurel said.

“No one is to tell Oliver about this. No one.”

“Duh,” Thea said.

“Our little secret,” Shado said.

“For the record,” the door guard said, “unless you’re a douche bag, who is probably going to try to murder someone on my watch, I’m really good at secrets.”

“Looking for a new job?” Mikey said.

“You know, I think I am.”

Mikey shifted in his seat, wincing as he dug through his pocket until he came up with a bent and curling business card. “Give me a call. Turns out my last body guards were easily bought.”

“Alright,” Laurel said. “We need to be seen somewhere, so no one equates us with the group who just attacked a bunch of mobsters.” 

“I know just the place,” the masked gymnast said.

\-----  
The Whispers @TheWhispers 4:30am The #StarlingCityCuties finished their night at @TheStarlightSockHop. With 6 stripper poles and a ‘make your own’ bar, who doesn’t love it?

The Vegas Comet @VegasComet 6:05am Vegas’s Michael Jones entertained Felicity Smoak and friends last night. We’ve got the details and the full itinerary!

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 4:21am Shout out to @MichaelJonesVegas, @CircusInMyMind and @TheGHow for showing us another fun night in Vegas! #whathappensinVegas

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 4:35am Also, the first person to show my dad internet video of me trying out a stripper pole needs to know that he’s a cop. He’s always armed. #yourescrewed

\-----  
Tommy Merlyn woke in a good mood. Sure, Ollie was off fighting some demonic thing that shriveled up fields for miles and miles. Sure, he himself was trapped in a cabin with Roy “I’m-not-brooding-you’re-brooding” Harper. Sure his girlfriend was in Vegas, surrounded by men who thought she was single. But there was pancake mix and the birds were chirping, and really, this wasn’t so bad.

He hummed to himself, thumbing open his twitter app as he flipped a pancake out of the pan. All the gossip sites were excitedly tweeting about his girlfriend in Vegas and even reblogging his picture from the day before. That one was admittedly a little embarrassing. Of course Slade and Ollie were good at canoeing. They’d probably done tandem canoe racing on their island from Hell. It wasn’t his fault he hadn’t known you couldn’t stand up in a canoe. They seemed really stable. Still, he looked good, even standing waste deep in muddy water. Better than Roy, who looked like a drowned cat.

He clicked a link. The Starlight Sock Hop. That sounded like a cute place. The phone finally managed enough of an internet connection to run the video. Kelis’s “Milk Shake” blasted out of the phone. A very handsome, very muscular man was showing a woman where to place her hands on a stripper pole. He stepped back and the woman took an experimental swing. As she spun it was very clearly Laurel Lance on a stripper pole.

His phone beeped with a text. He hastily swept the video away to check the message. It was from Captain Lance. Tommy sucked in a breath, then carefully opened it.

Captain Lance: WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER THAT SHE’S NOW IN VEGAS ON A STRIPPER POLE

Captain Lance: AND DON’T GIVE ME A BULLSHIT ANSWER. I’M A COP. I SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU MERLYN.

Roy stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Pancakes?”

Tommy turned to him. “I want you to know, as the last person likely to see me alive, that the wipe file on my computer is just labeled ‘Destroy At Death.’ Just hand the whole computer to Felicity and tell her to do what needs to be done.”

Roy groaned. “You’re weird this morning. All I want are pancakes. Also, I’m pretty sure there’s a bear sleeping on the front porch.”

Tommy tilted his head back to look at the sky. “Seriously? Do I deserve this?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. I appear to have attempted to enter a plot? Apologies, but hey it's still fluffy! I kept the torture down to a minimum, which is like gold star work for me.
> 
> Warnings for people: someone tied up against their will, hints of previous beating. No one is hit in any of the scenes, no descriptions of blood and all the good guys go home in one piece. Also, bad words your mama told you not to say.


	14. Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are back in town. The girls are planning to take Vegas down with them.

The Journal @TheJournalTimes 9:45am The strange plague striking livestock in Australia has stopped as mysteriously as it began. Epidemiologists discuss theories. linkbit.com/aus313

The Whispers @TheWhispersGossip 9:55am Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen battle brown bear on their front porch. Click for pics! bitlink.com/93250n

The Australian Journal @AustralianJournal 3:00am American hero Arrow made an appearance yesterday. linklink.aus/4523143a3

The Vegas Comet @VegasComet 9:59am Notorious Lucifer Baylor arrested as police wrap up work on recent crime spree. Police credit anonymous tipsters.

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 10:18am Seriously. Whoever showed my dad that video is not on my good list. Once I’m back in Starling City I’m going to hunt you down.

Thea Queen @TheAQueen 10:35am @LaurelLanceJD I’m sure you mean that in the most non-threatening way possible, right?

Laurel Lance @LaurelLanceJD 10:41am @TheAQueen I have a just barely legal taser. I haven’t gotten to use it yet. I’m willing to change that.

Felicity Smoak @FelicityMIT3 10:45am @TheAQueen @LaurelLanceJD Brunch once you guys quit plotting almost-murder? @MichaelJonesVegas is buying!

\------  
Tommy’s phone beeped. He lay face down on the kitchen floor. Roy stood over him, cheerfully munching on a pancake. He nudged Tommy with his toe. “I think that’s for you.”

Tommy grunted and turned his face to the side just enough that he could speak. “It’s probably Captain Lance texting to tell me he’s scheduled me for castration. It can wait.” He turned his face back into the cool tile of the floor.

“Weak,” Roy said, crouching down to scoop the phone up from where it sat inches from Tommy’s face. “That bear only chased you like a hundred yards.”

“My life flashed before my eyes,” Tommy said. “And the last scene was Captain Lance’s text. That’s a terrible thought to die on.”

“You didn’t die. What’s your pass code?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Never mind. Got it.”

Tommy rolled over onto his back and glared up at Roy. “How did you guess my pass code?”

Roy shrugged without looking at him. “You’re a rich, white boy. You’re easy.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means you’re a sucker. Oliver’s on his way back. Says he’ll be here by tomorrow morning."

“Oh thank God.” Tommy flopped over onto his back. “Reinforcements against the forces of nature.”

“Hey! I helped.”

“You laughed so hard you almost pulled a muscle.”

“For the record I did pull a muscle and I still saved your sorry butt.”

Tommy rolled back over and pressed his face back into the ground. “Just leave me here to die.”

“Cool, but first I’m gonna finish my pancake.”

\-----  
Felicity sat at her hotel room table, bent over her Microsoft Surface. Her fingers tapped rapidly over the screen, scanning through the headlines. “Well, I think they’re alive.”

“They’re fine,” Sara said from where she lay sprawled across the massive couch. Nyssa lay with her head pillowed in Sara’s lap, wound around Sara’s legs like a cat. The two women had arrived in Felicity’s room, still dressed in their clothes from the night before. Nyssa had demanded room service before the two collapsed onto the couch to sleep. They’d woken up to eat their breakfast, before climbing back onto the couch while Felicity fretted over all the news stories coming out of Australia.

“Do not text them,” Nyssa muttered, eyes still shut against the dim light of the room.

“No contact,” Sara said, with a wave of an arm. “We are winning.”

Felicity’s phone dinged.

Sara shot upright, nearly throwing Nyssa out of her lap. Nyssa grumbled unhappily, stringing together threatening sounding words in some old, possibly dead language. Sara ignored her. “Is it them? Tell me that’s Ollie. We've won!”

Felicity opened the message, then shook her head. “Nope. Just Mikey. Ooh!”

“What is it?” Sara said.

“Mikey’s treating us all to a spa day.”

Sara shoved Nyssa out of her lap. “Go get Shado out of the shower. I’ll go grab the others. I know how we’re winning this.”

Nyssa grumbled, rolling herself back up on the couch and falling back asleep.

\-------  
The Whispers @TheWhispersGossip 11:43am Felicity Smoak was seen stepping out with Michael Jones today. Check out the flowers he bought. #whathappensinVegas linkfile.com/3248aljc8

The Vegas Comet @VegasComet 11:57amThe Wedding Chapels of Vegas are all hoping Felicity Smoak and Michael Jones will be visiting soon! Has it gotten serious that fast? bitlink.net/90uoi0

\-----  
Ollie thrust his phone under Tommy’s nose. “What is this?”

Tommy pulled his head back enough that he could see the screen. “Twitter?”

“I know it’s twitter. Who is Michael Jones?”

There was a loud thud from the kitchen as Roy’s chair flipped over. Roy came scrambling out of the kitchen, slammed into the wall and slid along it, eyes fixed on Ollie’s back. He got beyond Ollie and then bolted for the door, leaving it slamming behind him.

“Um,” Tommy said, “I think Roy needs me.”

Ollie pushed the phone back into Tommy’s face. “No, he doesn’t. Who is Michael Jones?”

“He’s just some guy out in Las Vegas. Friendly guy I hear. Lots of friends. Platonic, casual friends.”

“Why is he giving my girlfriend flowers?”

“Because he’s friendly?”

Slade walked into the room and plucked the phone from Ollie’s hand. He considered the image for a moment, then grunted. “This story says he’s got more money than you.”

Tommy threw his hands up. “Okay, so he’s rich. And apparently handsome. And he’s been hanging out with Felicity because they’re old friends, but really, everything is fine.”

Ollie snatched the phone back from Slade and began typing.

“No,” Tommy groaned. “Ollie, don’t give in.”

“No one’s giving in. I’m texting Detective Lance. I want a full background check on this guy. And since I can’t ask Felicity to do it I’m falling back on other options.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Tommy said.

Ollie sent off the text and then pocketed his phone. “You wouldn’t do what?”

“Text Detective Lance about anything having to do with Vegas.”

Ollie’s phone buzzed and he pulled it back out, frowning down at it. “Why is Detective Lance asking me about pole dancing?”

“Say nothing,” Tommy said. “And if he asks I broke all my limbs and can’t get back to him.”

\-----  
The Vegas Comet @VegasComet 8:30pm Felicity Smoak and friends were spotted heading into Thunder from Down Under. Vegas is glad to show them a good time! #whathappensinVegas @ThunderVegas

\-----  
Tommy shoved his way in through the back door and dropped his armful of wood onto the kitchen floor with a loud bang. 

“Tommy!” Ollie called from the other room.

“You’re supposed to be building a fire so we stop freezing to death!” Tommy yelled back.

“Is Thunder from Down Under what I think it is?”

“What!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live! I die! I live again! Yes, I got Mad Max: Fury Road for Christmas. Why do you ask?
> 
> So, I promise I'm not leaving this thing dead in the water. It is coming! Thanks for your patience


	15. Nyssa has better things to do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyssa and Sara needed a little love.

Nyssa sat on the plush, red seat of the OMG Puppies slot machine, watching Sara repeatedly mash the buttons of the OMG Kittens machine.

“So,” Sara said, without looking away from the spinning kittens, “we need to find someone to hook Laurel up with.”

“Laurel is dating Tommy.”

“Well, yeah, but the media doesn’t know that. We need more fuel on this fire. Ollie might freak out seeing his girlfriend with someone, but Tommy’s going to be the one that pushes it over the edge. He’s our hold out. I just know it.”

“And Thea and Roy?”

“Ollie’s got Roy leashed in now that he’s back in town. That’s a no go.”

Nyssa innocently examined her nails. “What of Shado and Slade?”

Sara turned away from the machine to stare at her girlfriend. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“If Shado were to be seen accompanying someone it would bring Slade to us.”

“First of all, Shado would kick his butt if he dared come raging in. Second of all, that means he would quietly slip in, cut some throats and be out again before we knew about it.”

Nyssa snorted. “Perhaps before you knew of it.”

Sara shook her head, turning back to her game and sending the little kittens on the screen whirling around again. “Fine, fine, before I even knew he was in town and well after you knew every step he’d take. Now be serious, do we fake hook Laurel up with Mikey’s new bodyguard or the gymnast?”

“Is this how we are to spend the rest of our time in Vegas?”

“What? Beat the boys?”

“No, remain obsessed with the lives of others.”

The machine meowed cheerfully as three kittens lined up in a row on the screen. The machine began chiming cheerfully. Sara turned to Nyssa. “I’m not obsessed.”

“In the last three days their names have always been on your tongue.”

“That’s not true. We went dancing last night.”

“And every conversation circled around your plots for them.”

Sara opened her mouth to reply, hesitated, then shut it again. She turned back to the machine and tapped the cash out button. It printed her the receipt and she slid off the seat.

She waved the receipt at Nyssa. “Alright, I just cashed out five thousand bucks. Wanna go help me spend it?”

“Or we could go see the Bellagio fountains for free and discuss them no further.”

Sara reached out and grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers together. “Deal.”

\-----  
The Whispers @TheWhispersGossip 7:56pm Out again with Michael Jones – the #StarlingCityCuties are making the most of Vegas. More on page 6 tomorrow!

The Daily Gossip @TheDailyGossipColumn 8:37pm “You’re moving too fast!” friends warn Michael Jones. Is there a ring in the future? bitlink.com/30ulkm0  
\-----

Digg stood in the cold, puffing out steady breaths of steam. A soft fall of cold snow brushed against his skin, threatening to snow them in. He kept one hand deep in his pocket, the other surreptitiously cradling the phone against his cheek. The trees between the house and where he stood were thick and he had left Tommy and Oliver arguing about how to properly build a fire. Still, they could be broken up by Slade at any moment and he wasn't in the mood to hear Tommy chiding him.

“You’re in big trouble,” Lyla said, by way of answer.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He smiled, tilting his head back to peer up at the dark sky, the stars hidden behind a wall of clouds. “I probably deserve that.”

“I’ve been reading the gossip columns.”

“I hope I’m not in them.”

She laughed, her voice soft and quiet, and he could picture her, peering into their daughter’s room, trying not to wake her, but not yet ready to leave the doorway and retreat to their empty bedroom. 

“You know the girls are going to win,” she said. "Time to come home, John.”

“A few more days and—“

“John. That was not a request. That was a direct order.”

“So, you’re the boss now?”

“Don’t try to pull that card. You know I am. However, this request comes from higher up the chain of command. Your daughter started making ‘D’ sounds today. You want to hear her say ‘dada,’ you get home.”

“Right. I gotta go break the news to Oliver that I’m leaving his little boy band.”

\-----  
Felicity’s phone beeped somewhere in the dark. She grunted and reached out, slapping her hand around until she banged it into the side table. She yipped at the sharp pain and rolled into a miserable ball, clutching at her injured hand.

The light flicked on and Shado peered sleepily at her from the other bed. “What are you doing?”

“I hate Vegas,” Felicity muttered, rolling over again to pick up her phone from where it sat, on the empty pillow beside her.

The message immediately broke her bad mood.

Shado scooted up to sit with her back to the headboard. “That is a disturbingly conniving smile,” she said, covering the yawn at the end with one hand.

“It’s from John.” Felicity turned the phone so that Shado could peer at the bright screen. “He’s going home and he says to stay strong.”

Shado cocked her head. “Is John on our side?”

“John’s on the winning side. And let’s be honest. We’ve always been winning this.”

Shado slid back down under the covers, tugging them up. "In that case I’m going to get some rest. Slade’ll probably be here tomorrow if Digg's caved already. He won't want to be the one sane, reasonable hold out.”

Felicity deposited the phone on the bed side table. “Oliver’s a sane and reasonable individual.”

“When you’re around, with John as back-up. Right now? He’s losing it.”

\-----  
Nyssa and Sara wandered down the Vegas Strip, fingers intertwined. It was late enough that even Vegas was quieting down and the hawkers trying to pass out paper cards promising real live women were clearing out. 

“This has been nice,” Sara said.

“It has,” Nyssa said.

They wandered on a little farther in comfortable silence.

“How bored are you?” Sara asked.

Nyssa blew out an annoyed breath. “It is no fault of yours.”

“I’m aware. But apparently there are a few mobsters left over from our new friends from the other night. They’ve been following us for at least five blocks.”

“Ten blocks.”

“Fine. How bored are you? Wanna have some fun?”

“Desperately.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you were wondering: The OMG Kittens and OMG Puppies slot machines are very real and very colorful.


	16. Sometimes it's best to say nothing at all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Slade has to play den mother and dark, underhanded planning goes into effect.

Tommy sat staring blearily down at the fluffy stack of pancakes piled up on his plate. Ollie gently set a small, glass container of real maple syrup down next to it and Tommy roused enough to stare up at him.

“When did you learn to cook?"

“No chefs on the island.”

“Right,” Tommy said, looking suspiciously back down at his plate. He cut a careful square out of one of the pancakes, drowned it in syrup and then hesitantly placed it in his mouth. He chewed carefully, staring off into the distance, then blinked in surprise. He turned to find Ollie leaning against the counter, smiling smugly at him.

“This is actually good!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I mean I figured the island was all raw fish.”

“No fish in the pancakes.”

Tommy was too busy shoveling more into his mouth to respond.

Roy poked his head into the room, a phone in his hand. “It’s Captain Lance. He wants to talk to you right away.”

Tommy hunched over his plate. “No, I get my delicious last meal first.”

“It’s for Oliver.”

Tommy sat back up. “Oh. Sucks to be you Ollie.”

Ollie rolled his eyes and accepted the phone.

“Captain Lance. What have you found for us?”

“Michael Jones is up to his eye balls in the mob and they’re gunning for him.”

Ollie tensed. Roy paused in the process of shoveling pancakes onto his own plate, one eyebrow going up in question. 

“What do you mean, ‘mob?'”

“I mean the type of guys who build a casino just to have a construction site to bury your body. You get him away from my daughter Queen. Don’t make me go out there.”

“We’ll fix this Captain Lance.”

“See that you do. And tell Tommy that if I see one more picture of my girls hanging out with strippers or pole dancing he won’t be able to go a week in this city without getting a parking ticket.”

“I’ll do that sir.”

“He was threatening me, wasn’t he?” Tommy asked morosely as Ollie hung up the phone. “What did I do to deserve this?”

“Fake break up with your girlfriend,” Roy said, “and then not go crawling back to her within a reasonable time frame.”

\-----

Felicity sat in the sun, head tipped back, drinking in the warmth.

Shado sat across from her, peering over the edge of her paperback book at Felicity. “You’re going to burn.”

“Only so much time left in Vegas to sit in the sun. You know it’s snowing where the boys are? No wonder John left.”

“You’re still going to burn.”

Felicity flicked a hand at Shado. “Go back to your regency romance.”

“It’s a pirate romance,” Shado said, very primly lifting the book back up between them.

Felicity’s phone rang and she scrambled upright. Shado carefully folded over a page in her book and set it aside to watch Felicity rifle through her bag, looking for the phone. 

Sara and Thea came splashing over from the floating pool bar. Laurel and Nyssa followed at a more sedate pace but they all got there just as Felicity pulled the phone out of the fourth pocket she looked through.

“It’s Oliver!” she said, triumphantly.

Sara and Thea cheered and tapped their frozen drinks together.

Felicity answered the phone with a smile. “Well hello.”

“You need to know Michael Jones is involved with the mob,” he said, without a greeting.

Her smile slipped away immediately. “What?”

“Michael Jones is involved with the mob.”

“No. I heard that. Did you honestly call me after all this time to talk about Mikey’s real estate issues?”

“Uh-Oh,” Thea said. Shado sighed and picked her book back up.

“You need to know that—“

“We chased them off days ago.”

There was a long pause and Felicity could clearly picture him making that face. That face he made every time he thought Felicity was being ‘reckless.’

“Don’t,” she said before he could say anything. “I know Mikey was being threatened by the mob. We’ve already dealt with them just fine. We’re not helpless.”

“I never said—“

“Next time you call, have something better to say. Do you hear me Oliver?”

“Wait, I—“

“Good bye.”

She hung up, flinging the phone back into her bag and collapsing back on her lounge chair.

“Well,” Laurel said. “I see Ollie is being his usual charming self.”

“I’m swearing off men,” Felicity said.

“I highly recommend it,” Nyssa said.

Sara elbowed her girlfriend, ducking away before Nyssa could retaliate. “Felicity, really I’m sure Ollie—“

“Ollie is an idiot,” Thea cut in. “Now he’s gotten in trouble for it and he’s going to stew.” She took a thoughtful sip of her drink. “This is perfect.”

Felicity snorted. 

“No. Really. He’s going to feel guilty now. Before it was just a game. But guilt? Ollie was always a terrible play boy, mostly because he felt guilty.”

“Really,” Laurel said, her voice dry.

“Right,” Sara said. “I’m going to second Laurel on that one.”

“Well,” Thea said. “New Ollie is full of angsty guilt and having Felicity mad at him is perfect. It plays him right into our hands.”

“Well he can stay angsty in the mountains,” Felicity snapped. 

“Karaoke,” Laurel said.

They all turned to stare at her. She shrugged. “When in doubt, sing it out.”

“What is in that drink you’re holding?” Sara asked. “Because I kind of love it.”

“I don’t want to do karaoke,” Felicity said.

“Yes you do,” Thea said. “Have some fun. Forget about Ollie.”

“I want chocolate ice cream and the full BBC miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice. All 6 hours.”

“I’ll get you ice cream,” Shado said, “and then we’ll go sing karaoke.”

Felicity sighed. “Okay, but I don’t have to like it.”

\-----

“You did what?” Slade said.

“I told Felicity he was with the mob. She didn’t take it well.”

“Let me guess. You just blurted it out.”

“I didn’t—“

Slade help up a hand, silencing Oliver. He turned to look at Roy and Tommy who sat contritely at the table. Roy’s eyes darted between them, then he focused his gaze on the table. 

“Well…” Tommy said.

“I knew it,” Slade said. He pointed a finger in Oliver’s face. “It’s a good thing you’re good with a bow and arrow because you are terrible with women.”

Oliver drew himself up, glaring at Slade. “I am not.”

Slade stepped closer. “Terrible.”

“Alright,” Tommy said, pushing back from the table and standing. “Let’s just everybody settle down.”

“Sit,” Slade said.

Tommy dropped back into his seat. “Sitting.”

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

Oliver repeated the conversation. As he wound down Slade nodded. “Alright, so they’re fine.”

“They’re not fine,” Oliver said. “They’re—“

“Felicity says they handled it? They handled it. There are six very capable women in Vegas right now. Shado might have a bum knee that makes the Horseman a bad idea but a couple of mobsters, heck a whole mob? Easy. You add in Laurel and Thea, even easier. Nyssa and Sara? They’ll have cleaned the whole town up by the time we get there. Felicity? Keeping it streamlined. Vegas should be paying us. Their crime rate has probably halved in the time they’ve been there.”

Oliver opened his mouth, shut it, tried to come up with something else to say and then turned away, stomping back to pour more pancake batter into the pan.

Slade dropped into a chair at the table. It creaked ominously under his sudden weight. He ignored it, propping his boots up on the table. “Alright. Clearly leaving this little expedition up to you lot was a mistake. Here’s how it’s going to go, from here on out.”

\-----

Thea and Felicity clung to the microphone. It wasn’t clear whether their tight grips were due to the ferocity of their performance or the pretty drinks each of them was clutching. Their passion unfortunately didn’t translate to excellent singing. Laurel’s attempts to make up for their lack of tone didn’t quite succeed but it didn’t matter. Vegas wanted to love the Starling City Cuties. They could do no wrong.

Nyssa leaned toward Shado. “Maybe the Four Horseman will show up and put us out of our misery.”

Sara elbowed her on her other side. “Hey, be nice. They sound great.”

“They sound happy,” Shado said, “and that’s all we’re going for.”

“Right,” Sara said, leaning around Nyssa, “I’m not allowed to discuss certain people, but if I were I would say we need to put an end to this without actually losing.”

Nyssa stood. “I am going to buy a drink. Perhaps many drinks. Discuss. Talk. I will return.”

As soon as she was gone Sara slid into her abandoned seat. 

“What was that about?” Shado asked.

“I may be overly involved in relationships that aren’t mine.”

Shado winced. “Sorry.”

Sara waved a hand. “She’s not actually mad. Plus we beat up mobsters last night, so she’s practically effervescent.”

“You beat up—“

“Anyway. So, Ollie is sulking. Roy is probably just bumbling through this like a guard Golden Retriever. He’s mostly trying to stay out of trouble here.”

“Okay.”

“So, Slade and Tommy are our hold outs.”

“Slade’s not a hold out.”

“So with Tommy we’ll—Wait, what do you mean Slade’s not a hold out? How do you know?”

Shado shrugged. “Slade is there because that’s where they went after Australia. Plus he hates Vegas.”

“Interesting,” Sara said, tapping one finger against her lower lip.

Nyssa reappeared over her shoulder. “It’s really not.” She skillfully balanced three drinks in her hands. Elbowing Sara gently aside, she set the drinks down on their table. “We've known all along who the hold out is.”

“Tommy,” Shado and Sara said in near unison.

Nyssa turned back to look at the stage where the three women were finishing their rousing rendition of Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert’s Something Bad. 

“Which makes our target Laurel.”

“Laurel?” Sara asked, stiffening in her seat.

Nyssa nodded. “We have no access to Tommy. Laurel, however.” She trailed off into silence.

The three woman all studied Laurel thoughtfully as she accepted her applause.

\-----

Janice Is The Best @SnowBoogy41 4:43pm Just sang my goddess Shania’s That Don’t Impress Me with #StarlingCityCuties! Love #Vegas!

TheaQueen @TheAQueen 6:42pm Fun times #karaoke. Dinner then #dancing. #whathappensinvegas #kissthisgoodbye

\-----

“I don’t know,” Laurel said, stabbing unhappily at her flawn.

“It’ll be fun,” Sara said.

Nyssa kicked her shin under the table and received a glare for it.

Shado ignored both of them, leaning conspiratorially closer. “Do it for Felicity. She needs some cardio to take her mind off things.”

“Cardio that’s not singing,” Sara added. “Not even you can save her karaoke attempts.”

“But pole dancing?” Laurel said. “Dad’s probably already having palpitations over the last pictures.”

“This is the twenty-first century,” Sara said. “Dad will-“

Nyssa kicked her again. Sara kicked her back. The table bumped and shuddered. Shado leaned her weight forward on her arms, holding the table down against their battle. “Mikey promised us he could get us in and just let us have some fun. No cameras allowed.”

Laurel’s eyes narrowed. “What were the three of you doing talking to Mikey?”

“He is Felicity’s friend,” Shado said.

Laurel turned to her sister. “What are you doing talking to Mikey?”

Nyssa leaned toward her girlfriend, whispering into her ear. Sara held strong for thirty seconds under her sister’s stare, then threw her hands up. “I can’t! Older sisters are the worst! Fine. We’re using Mikey to make Ollie jealous so this can end faster.”

Laurel snorted. “You are a horrible liar.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Ladies!” Shado said. “Are we going pole dancing or not?”

“Fine,” Laurel said. She jabbed her flawn covered spoon at her sister. "But if pictures go on the internet again I’m telling dad it was your idea.”

“What was whose idea?” Felicity asked as she sat down with her own slice of flawn from the buffet.

“We’re going pole dancing,” Laurel said.

Felicity grimaced. “Oh. I don’t know.”

Shado nudged her under the table. When Felicity turned to look at her she tilted her head toward Laurel and raised her eyebrows. Felicity stared back at her. “I have no idea what that means, but fine. We’re drinking water this time though! Pole dance responsibly.”

\-----

Tommy sat silently in the back seat of the SUV, arms crossed, glaring out the window at the dark night. Beside him Roy cheerfully defeated flower monsters on his phone. The green glow of the phone filled the cabin of the SUV.

“Are we there yet,” Tommy muttered.

“Don’t make me turn this thing around,” Ollie said, voice deadpan.

“Nobody’s turning around,” Slade said. He sat with his head thrown back, eyes closed, approximating sleep. 

Tommy’s phone beep and he grumbled to himself as he dug it out of his jacket pocket. “What in the—“

Roy leaned over to look at it and burst out laughing.

“It’s not funny!” Tommy said.

Ollie stuck a hand through to the back seats, eyes still focused on the dark road. “Let me see it.”

“You’re driving,” Tommy protested. 

Without looking away from the road Ollie leaned back, grabbed the phone and snatched it away. Slade took it from him before he could peer at it. “Don’t trust your driving on a good day,” he said.

“You crash one plane,” Ollie said.

Slade grunted. “One too many.” He held the phone up, studying the message. The he barked out a laugh.

“It’s not funny,” Tommy said.

“’We have new video of your girlfriend pole dancing,'" Slade read. "'End this war or we’ll send it to Captain Lance.’”

Ollie frowned. “Who is it from?”

“Nyssa.”

“You know it’s her girlfriend’s dad, too,” Tommy said.

“Yeah,” Roy said, “but she’s not the one he’s blaming for all this.”

“We can’t give into blackmail,” Tommy said.

“Tough,” Slade said. “You’re outnumbered and outgunned. Time to give in with dignity. Isn’t that right Queen?”

There was no response from their driver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am snowed in. Blizzard 2016 is a nightmare and so I am trying to finally be good and complete this thing!


	17. Sweet Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys hit Vegas. Twitter loves it.

“I regret everything,” Felicity groaned into her pillow.

“You were the one who broke the sober pole dancing rule,” Shado said as she held a plate of bacon and eggs above Felicity’s bed.

“And I regret that,” Felicity said. She snuggled back under the covers.

Shado kicked the side of the bed warningly.

Felicity groaned. “What time is it?”

“Two.”

“In the morning?”

Shado set the plate down on the bed side table and went to the window. She drew the heavy curtains back with one sharp yank and bright afternoon sunlight flooded in. 

Felicity whine pitifully and pulled the covers up over her head.

“Up,” Shado said. “Eat. Then we’re going gambling.”

Felicity lifted her head, squinting in the sunlight. “Gambling?”

“Apparently Nyssa has decided she wants to play some blackjack.”

“We did tell her she couldn’t count cards, right?”

“Sara swears they’re not going to use any sort of advantage.”

“They’re not going to cheat,” Felicity prodded.

Shado shrugged. “They don’t think of it as cheating.”

Felicity dropped her head back down on the bed. “I think I’ll stay here. I'm trying not to get kicked out of any more casinos for counting cards.”

Shado moved back to the table and gently fanned her hand over the plate. The smell of bacon wafted over Felicity. She dragged herself upright. “Alright, but I’m only getting up for the bacon.”

\-----

The Vegas Comet @VegasComet 4:38pm Oliver Queen spotted in Vegas! Just what is he doing?! Keep us updated twitter followers! #whathappensinVegas

The Daily Gossip @TheDailyGossipColumn 4:57pm There are rumors that Oliver Queen’s been spotted in Vegas with strippers. Follow us for all the info!

\-----

The dealer slapped down a nine, busting Thea’s hand but giving Laurel a perfect twenty-one. Cheers went up from the women.

“More drinks!” Sara crowed. “We are on a roll.”

“Oh God,” Felicity said. “No more drinks.”

“A round of water,” Shado said to the hovering waitstaff and they disappeared. 

Sara scoffed at her sister. “Well, I am going to go and get myself a fun drink, since you’re all boring.”

“The word you’re looking for is ‘hungover,’” Felicity said.

“Hair of the dog?” Sara offered.

Felicity blanched and shook her head.

With a shrug Sara cut through the small crowd surrounding their table. Apparently it was becoming quite the trend to spot the Starling City Cuties. People still parted with ease for her and Sara found the bar and smiled sweetly at the man pouring a pretty, pale drink into a glass.

“Let me guess. You want something alcoholic, now that Oliver Queen’s in town,” he said.

Sara paused in sliding cash out of her tiny clutch. “What now?”

“Oliver Queen’s in town.” He paused, peering at her stunned face. “You didn’t know? It’s all over twitter.”

“Well, you can’t always believe twitter,” Sara said as she yanked her phone out of the clutch. Her messages were empty but twitter was a wild hotbed of activity. “Tell you what. Hold the drink. I’ll be back for that.”

She cut back through the crowd, trying not to run. People glanced at her in curiosity but some of them smiled, their eyes knowing. The rest of the group still sat huddled around the blackjack table, laughing as the dealer busted them all.

Sara threw herself into their midst. “The boys are here.”

She was met with blank stares.

“Like here. In Vegas. Right now.”

They all turned away to drag out their own phones. 

“Winners!” Thea said, throwing up the hand not holding her phone.

“Hmm,” Laurel said, studying her own phone.

Felicity sighed, looking down at herself. “If I’d known I would have worn something more… more…”

“You look fine,” Shado said.

“Alright,” Laurel said, cutting them all off. “How are we playing this?”

“I am playing blackjack,” Nyssa said, tapping two fingers on the table. The dealer began regathering the cards again. “They may do as they please.”

“If he’s here to lecture me-” Felicity said.

“Let’s think positively,” Shado said.

Laurel clapped her hands. “Battle plan.” She gestured for one of the waitstaff. 

She approached with a bright red smile. “What can I get you?” 

“We’ll tip you one hundred bucks each to keep an eye out for Oliver Queen. You give us a heads up before he gets to our table, that’s six hundred dollars.”

She considered them thoughtfully. Thea plucked a fresh one hundred dollar bill from her purse and held it out. “Down payment.”

“You get the six hundred even if you don’t manage,” Felicity said. “I’ve waited tables at Vegas before. I get it.”

The woman’s smile went from bright and artificial to real in a flash. “Then you know I can get it done. No worries. I’ll have you warned by the time they’re fifty feet in the door.”

“Thank you,” Felicity said, with real emphasis.

The woman plucked the bill from Thea, nodded once to them and was gone.

“We play,” Nyssa said, her voice bordering on threatening. “And they do as they please.”

“I think I need that alcohol now,” Felicity said.

“Trust me,” Shado said. “You don’t.”

\-----

The hotel was as ostentatious as the rest of Vegas. Its theme was classic Vegas and the woman greeting them was clothed in a sweeping dress with a plunging neck line and a wrap of what looked like real mink, or a very good fake. Oliver smiled his winningest smile at her

“I’m looking for someone,” he said. “Is there any way to have them called for?”

The woman’s bright, painted on smile turned down. “I really wouldn’t recommend that. White knights go riding off in rescue of princesses. They don’t call them like they’re dogs.”

Slade choked back a laugh. Oliver forced his smile to remain in place, pulling unhappily at the perfectly cuffed sleeves on his white button down shirt. “Thanks for the advice.”

She winked. “Just keep smiling handsome. Women’ll forgive all sorts of things for a smile like yours.”

The rest of the groups snickered behind him. He ignored them in favor of giving her a final smile before stalking into the hotel.

“So charming,” Tommy said. “That’s our Ollie.”

“I wouldn’t be talking. Didn’t your girlfriend start this all by throwing a drink on you the last time you talked?”

“Everybody pipe down,” Slade said. “Everyone’s going to be on their best behavior. You hear me?”

It was more a threat than a question.

\-----

The woman came back, setting down a single glass of water at their table. “They’re here,” she murmured. “Just came in the front door. Apparently twitter’s been telling them where you are.”

“Et tu, twitter?” Thea said as Felicity silently slipped the woman the cash they’d gathered for her.

The woman winked back at her. “Buck up. Your boy apparently looks quite contrite.”

“That’s worse,” Felicity said. “Then I want to forgive him.”

“Another game,” Nyssa told the dealer. “They will find us when they find us.”

The other women shared a look, but turned back to the table.

There was no need for a guard. The soft murmur of the small crowd around them was all the warning they needed.

Nyssa’s cards settled on a perfect twenty-one again and she nodded in satisfaction. “That is where we stop.” She turned away from the table and raised her   
eyebrows at the four men pushing their way through the growing crowd. The other women followed her example and sat in silence as the men stopped before them. They were surprisingly put together considering they'd just come down from a snowy mountain. Someone, probably Tommy, had found them a tailor and they were all spit shined and clean. Roy kept tugging uncomfortably at his collar but when Tommy nudged him he guiltily dropped his hands to his sides.

In the crowd phones went up in the air, filming it for their fifteen minutes of twitter fame. Otherwise the mass of people were completely silent, waiting with bated breath.

It was Tommy who broke first. “Hi,” he said, giving a small wave.

Laurel crossed her arms and one perfect eyebrow rose in a silent question. 

Properly chastised, Tommy fell back a step.

“We, uh—“ Roy said.

“Nope,” Thea said. “Ollie goes first.”

Roy looked desperately relieved, turning to look at the other man.

Oliver stifled a small laugh, his eyes focused on Felicity who flushed and glanced away before her eyes were drawn back to him again.

“We’re idiots,” he said.

“An excellent start,” Nyssa said.

Sara very gently pressed a hand to her lover’s lips to quiet her. Nyssa rolled her eyes but remained silent.

“And we’re very sorry,” Oliver continued. 

“For?” Thea said.

Shado elbowed her.

“Do you want the list?” Oliver said.

Laurel pursed her lips thoughtfully, then shook her head. “Too long.”

He grinned, his gaze still fixed on Felicity. “Fair enough. How’s this?” He stepped forward, threw his back, arms wide and shouted, “Girl’s rule, boys drool!”

There was a moment of stunned silence, then Felicity burst out laughing. Oliver lunged forward, grabbed her in a hug and spun her off her seat. She wrapped her arms around his neck, still laughing.

The table of women erupted into cheers, the crowd with them. 

Laurel smiled at Tommy, gently beckoning him closer and he went in for his own hug. Roy sidled towards Thea and she grabbed him and yanked him into a kiss by his collar. He sagged into her, clearly relieved.

Slade considered the rest of them, then looked back at Shado, indicating a way out of the crowd with a jerk of his chin. She smiled back and slipped away after him for their own private reunion. 

Nyssa and Sara leaned into each other, laughing at their friends.

“Alright, alright!” Thea yelled finally. “Celebratory karaoke!”

Sara groaned. “No more.”

“I have a better idea,” Felicity said. She looked up at Oliver, arms still draped around his neck. “How about we got to the club and you can meet Mikey?”

“Is this the club with the pole dancing?” Oliver asked.

“Yup.”

He grinned down at her. “I would be honored.”

She reached up and gently patted his cheek. “Good answer.”

\-----

The Whispers @TheWhispersGossip 6:48pm #SmoakQueen makes up! Follow our entertainment page for updates.

The Daily Gossip @TheDailyGossipColumn 6:57pm Video of #SmoakQueen’s sweet reunion! Linkbit.org/30ackj90j Like, retweet, subscribe!

Starling City Times @StarlingCityTimes 6:59pm Starling City’s royal couple is back together! Check our entertainment section for updates tomorrow morning!

The Vegas Comet @VegasComet 7:03pm Heart break for Vegas’s Michael Jones as Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen reunite. Bitlinky.com/30u9oic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last chapter coming your way!


	18. Happy Endings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it ends on general silliness. Thanks for sticking with me!

Michael Jones was a nice guy, Oliver was disappointed to find. He firmly shook Oliver’s hand and gave him a wide smile. “It’s nice to meet the guy my Felicity is dating. For now.” Mikey was going to have an accident. Very soon. 

Felicity pinched Oliver's side. He kept his smile and didn’t flinch.

“Mikey,” Felicity said with a sigh.

“It’s a joke,” he protested.

Oliver laughed.

“See, he gets it,” Michael said, grinning at him.

“We’re going to go eat appetizers in the corner,” Felicity said. “Don’t be funny with anyone else.”

Michael shrugged and Oliver patted him on the shoulder with maybe more force than was required. Felicity hauled him away before Michael could say anything else.

\-----

“So, I’m not in trouble?” Roy said.

Thea ruffled his hair. “No, Roy. You’re not in trouble. Did you do something you should be in trouble for?”

Roy shrugged and shoved another loaded fry into his mouth. “I saved Tommy from a bear,” he said around a mouthful of cheese, bacon and french fry.

Thea and Laurel both turned to stare at Tommy. He shrugged uncomfortably. “I was fine. I could handle it.”

“He screamed, really loud,” Roy said.

“My hero,” Thea said.

“What about me?” Tommy said.

“What did you do to the bear?” Laurel asked.

“Nothing!”

Roy swallowed his mouthful of food. “He threw a piece of wood at it.”

“It was looming, threateningly on the front porch!”

Laurel sighed. “We’re going to have to teach you some survival skills one of these days.”

“So, am I forgiven?” Tommy asked.

“By me? Yes. By dad?” Laurel shrugged.

Tommy groaned and let his head drop down onto the table.

\-----

Thea pushed a fourth drink at Ollie.

“I’m not sure why we came over to join you guys,” he muttered but he picked up the drink.

“On a scale from ‘almost there’ to ‘heck yes’, how ready are you to pole dance?” Thea asked.

“I’m not pole dancing,” he said.

“You’d be so good at it,” Felicity said.

“Please,” Sara said.

“We won’t even show the video to Slade,” Thea said.

“No.”

\-----

Slade stood in front of one pole. Oliver in front of the other.

“It can’t be that hard,” Oliver said.

“I don’t know,” Shado said. “It requires more lower body strength than you think. The salmon ladder isn't proper preparation. You guys might not be up for this.”

“Also, you’re both wearing too many clothes,” Felicity said.

Oliver pointed an accusing finger at his girlfriend. “I’m onto you.”

“Yes. I’m being very sneaky. Take off your shirt Oliver.”

\-----

“How much will you pay me not to post this video on twitter?” Thea asked her brother.

“Go for it. I look good.”

“You are gross.”

\-----

Oliver shook Michael’s hand. Michael managed not to show any evidence of how firm Oliver’s grip was. Felicity whacked Oliver’s shoulder and he released Michael.

“Thank you for letting us close the place down,” Oliver said. “You have a great establishment here.”

“Always happy to have Felicity over for a visit and of course any friend of Felicity’s!”

“Right,” Felicity said. She leaned up on tip toe and kissed Michael’s cheek. “Thank you Mikey. Try not to piss off any more mobsters.”

“My new body guards are much better.”

Felicity sighed. “That’s not what I meant.”

Michael grinned. “Take care Felicity. And Oliver? Watch out for our girl.”

Oliver smiled back. “I always do.” He walked out with Felicity, one hand settled gently on her lower back.

As soon as the last doors closed behind them she burst out into laughter. “He wouldn’t tease you so much if you weren’t so easy.”

“I was a gentleman.”

“You’re lucky I know you’re just being weird or we’d be having one of those serious couples talks right now.”

He stopped, turning her to face him. “Anything but that.”

She grinned up at him. “So, how was your boy’s weekend?”

“Terrifying. Those nature shows don’t do Australian wildlife justice.”

“I’m sure Vegas night life can give them a run for their money.”

“All the more reason to go home.”

A dark car slid slowly down the street toward them. Oliver frowned at it. “Felicity.”

Felicity turned to see it, then waved.

The window rolled down and an old man stuck his head out. He glared at Oliver, then very slowly drew a finger across his neck. As soon as the threatening gesture was completed he broke into a wide smile. “Hi Scooby!”

“Hi Uncle Warren! Please don’t threaten my boyfriend.”

“Tell him to put a ring on it!” He honked the horn, two cheerful beeps and then the window slid up and the car was gone.

“Uncle Warren?" Oliver said. "He’s related to you?”

“Sort of. Let’s go catch up with everyone else.”

“Felicity.”

“I thought you didn’t want to have serious, couples talks.”

Oliver sighed. “We are going to discuss this trip.”

“No we’re not.”

He opened his mouth to protest. Felicity held out a hand, her pointer finger raised in warning. “Nope.”

He sighed. “Slade says you know best.”

She raised her eyebrows, waiting patiently.

“And, don’t ever tell him I said this, but he’s right.”

Felicity wrapper her hands around the back of his neck pulling him down for a kiss. “Smart boy. C’mon. Let’s go home.”

He smiled down at her. “Home. You know, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about our living arrangements.”

They started down the street again, hand in hand.

“Is this because of what Uncle Warren said?”

“Uncle—No. This is not because of what Uncle Warren said. I’m not afraid of an old man.”

“I would be if I was you.”

“You’re not going to be serious are you?” 

“I need a few less margaritas in me.”

“Let’s go slow pokes!” Sara yelled from down the street.

“Wanna run away to a deserted cabin in the woods with me?” Oliver asked.

“I heard there are bears.”

“Better than kangaroos.”

\-----

Starling City Times @StarlingCityTimes 11:37am Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen are home. But was there an engagement in Vegas? Rumors are flying! See page 8!

Thea Queen @TheAQueen 11:46am For the last time! No one got married or engaged in Vegas! #whathappensinVegas #staysinVegas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it guys! Thank you for all the kind comments, and to those of you who followed along from the very beginning: thank you for putting up with the massive delay in the middle. I hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> True story: I am writing this because this ridiculous show is currently my happy place. I should be editing/writing my own stuff so, writing this will be my "payment" for getting my own stuff done. It will be only loosely edited: I'm not particularly interested in your helpful edits. I will editing issues unless they are so glaringly annoying I can't.
> 
> Possible spoilers up through S2. I have not seen S3. Please do not write to me with spoilers for S3/correcting my "inaccuracies" based on your watching of S3. Thanks.


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